The Diego Diaries: Paradigm Shifted 4 (dd3 522 )
-0-There
Everywhere in the cities every monitor and radio set available was crowded with concerned, aggravated or frightened Cybertronians. Mechs with hazmat skills were called in as was the Martian Unified Consolidated Fire Department, a newly reorganized group of professional and volunteer personnel whose job it was to put out and/or clean up slag.
They watched as Inferno, commander of the Emergency Management Team when he wasn't off duty kibitzing with Red Alert in the brig directed the clean up and evacuation of the wounded and dead. Cameras briefly lingered over a line of battered energon covered bodies before cutting away abruptly to the area around Club Cybertron.
Aleph, a news personality and moderator of three hard news programs, 'Martian Roundup', 'Autobot City Today' and a weekend news show, 'The News with Aleph' was on the screen giving a blow-by-blow commentary of the images as well as the latest updates on the still unfolding situation. He was the voice of calm and gravitas while Gen-O was the one along with the less experienced mechs and femmes who went out to do the studio throw backs to Aleph.
"The scene now, Aleph is one of calm as Inferno directs the relief of the wounded and the dead," Gen-O was saying in a small box in the screen corner of the general feed. That coverage at the moment was a long distance view of the airfield.
"Has there been an update in the number of those killed and wounded?" Aleph asked.
Gen-O looked out at the field, then back at the camera. "So far as of now, it stands at 24 dead, 18 wounded. Those numbers come from the office of Emergency Management. I have a request in to speak to Inferno, the director, but he's occupied at the moment. They will honor the request when things are sorted out. They're waiting for the forensics team to arrive and for the Watch Detective Investigation Bureau to go over the scene to gather evidence."
"Is it possible to speak with the Prime?" Aleph asked.
"He's involved at the moment. Caught in the crossfire were the human contingent and the soldiers had to manage them. None of the humans were involved or injured. They were spectating the migration landings when the altercation broke out," Gen-O said. "Right now, his focus is in getting assistance for those injured and preserving the scene."
"Very well," Aleph said. "In other parts of the colony, the news brought shock and dismay. Lim-Lee has that story in Centurion, one of the two locations where this newest flood of refugees are being settled. Lim-Lee? Can you hear me?"
The pretty face of Lim-Lee appeared in the little corner box of the main feed. She nodded. "I'm here, Aleph. I'm standing in the intersection of 7th and D Street outside a bookstore, The Page. I've been talking to the locals including a number of refugees who had direct experience with the alleged group from the fire fight. I'm talking to Gardien," she said turning to a tall grim featured mech who was holding a tiny mech who looked at the camera with fascination as his tiny wings fluttered sweetly.
A pensive mech standing beside Gardien, his bond named Tiler, held a little mech himself, one that appeared just a small bit older than the first. "We were talking, Gardien, about the mechs alleged to be part of the disruption. You mentioned incidents in the migration that included them."
He nodded. "We were forced out of our colony by Decepticons who were working with a local alien group to make us leave. When we did we flew toward the Prime's call. Along the way others joined us, some in good condition, others not. We pooled our resources to make sure everyone was able to come. They joined us about 10 decaorns ago and were oblivious to the needs of the mass. They were scary. When they tried to board ships to take things they needed, they were scared off by the Seekers who were with us who threatened to target their engines so they wouldn't be able to continue. That kept them at bay most of the journey.
"The Seekers were hitching rides on our ships so we could help them care for their babies and families That's how we managed to fend them off. They were getting really offensive toward the end. I think they were anticipating not getting a good reception when they arrived so they were angling to take over some of our ships for a bargaining chip. Only by sticking together were we able to keep that from happening."
"Did they ever strike out at you?" Lim-Lee asked.
"They did," Gardien said as his bond nodded. Both of them looked strained as did others standing around them listening. "They did a couple of times but we fended them off. It only got worse when we got closer to the colony. I think they feared Prime."
"They should," Tiler said with a cold expression. "They could've come here in peace but they didn't. I want to thank the army and Prime for protecting us. We've been afraid so long I can hardly grip the reality that our infants are safe and we can take care of them the way they deserve. Its been too much."
Others nodded, then joined in as the broadcast continued with their commentary underscoring the images on the larger portion of the screen. It showed Prowl and the forensic teams from the Watch and from the Seeker Armada going over the scene carefully, kneeling here and there as hazmat workers waited to clean up the mess. Small flags marked the hundreds of casings of shells fired during the fighting.
It was a sobering and grim sight.
-0-Wheeljack and Perceptor
They walked to the Hospital for the grim task of autopsies. A forensics autopsy expert, Perceptor would be overlooking the dissection of the victims for the legal record. He'd done it on Cybertron coming to the conclusion that the state was killing and/or modifying individuals based on their politics and thoughtful persuasions as the tenor of events demanded. He'd made the mistake of assuming that everyone was honorable when he personally presented a report to Sentinel and Kudon. His resultant dismissal and exile to Praxus under house arrest was a blow that never left him, making his enlistment in the Autobots the only course of action an honorable spark could take.
They entered, the two, walking to the elevator in the crowded lobby and rode up to emergency. The morgue was two floors lower but they were called to observe an autopsy on a civilian that had big consequences for the future. Entering, they passed two shell-shocked youngsters sitting on a bench with an armed guard. Entering the suite where everyone was congregated inside and out, they halted beside Ratchet who was leaning over the body on the med berth.
"Ratchet?" Wheeljack said gently.
Ratchet ed, two field patches on his hurts. "Wheeljack and Perceptor. We need to do this right," he said moving back a little.
"What's this youngster doing here, Ratchet? How did they get shot?" Wheeljack asked staring at the youngster on the med berth. "That's one of those bomber kids, right?"
"It is," Ironhide said. "This is fragged, 'Jack. He decided to run into the fighting like it was a game. A stray bolt fragged him."
Wheeljack shook his helm. "Those two out there … they're the other ones. The ones not in jail."
Ironhide nodded as Prime and Prowl entered the room. Everyone gathered nearby.
"We need a report on each starting with this mech, Wheeljack, Perceptor," Prime said. "This particular one has implications beyond the death of a citizen. This one could be the match that lights the tinder of high caste discontent in our midst."
Perceptor nodded. "We will do this for you, Prime. Do not worry."
"I am worried for all of us, Perceptor. We have to kill this virus before we die from it," Prime replied.
"Should we talk to the youngsters now, Optimus?" Springer asked as he leaned against a wall with a pensive Drift nearby.
"I think its time," Prime said as he joined Prowl to walk outside. Drift and Springer followed.
They halted before two mechs who glanced up at them, then stared at the floor with emotional optics. "You know why we are here. We want to know why you two and Commotion did not follow the orders of the Watch and stay away," Prime asked.
They stared at the floor, then Kale glanced up at Prime with an expression of cold hard rage. "I want my family or representation now."
Ironhide who came up behind stepped closer. "You little punk. You aren't under arrest. Yet. Answer your betters and do it now, fraggers. A mech is dead because you little punks are stupid. Answer the question with respect. Do it."
They stared at Ironhide, sitting back in reaction to his anger when the door opened and several mechs walked in nearly in hysterics. Others came, too, including Fenix and Jarro with Lauren in tow. They gathered in the middle of the common room, then spotted the two youngsters.
"WHERE IS COMMOTION?" an older mech asked glancing around with near hysterics.
Prime stepped in front of the two frightened youths, their indifferent facade falling away in the face of the comforting presence of their families. They began to rise but sat again as Drift pressed on their shoulders. Humr, the father of Gravity stepped forward. "Unhand that mech."
"Enough," Prime said as his deep voice cut through the chatter.
Everyone in the room silenced.
"We are here because of a serious matter. We will remember that," Prime said sharply.
It was silent a moment, then Fenix stepped forward. "Sir … what's this about? You called for all of us and you have these two here. What's the meaning of this matter, sir?" he asked in the proper manner of respect.
As usual.
"There was a fire fight on the airfield. I am sure that all of you saw and heard about it," Prime began.
All nodded.
Then Shel shook her helm. "I suppose you're blaming us for that?"
Prime shot her a stern look. She stepped back but held his gaze. He looked at the genitors of Commotion. "Everyone was warned to stay away from the airfield. You were warned in all the media outlets as well as internally through the mass emergency linkage all of us have. These two," Prime said looking at the two mechs sitting on the bench, "and their companion, Commotion disobeyed that directive. They came to the airfield and Commotion decided to see how close he could get to the action." Prime considered the news he had to say. "There is no easy way to state this. Commotion was shot by a stray blast and was killed on the spot."
It was silent a moment as the various groups digested that news. Then there was a deeper silence, the kind you get when you're dead but still breathing. The genitors looked at each other, then the two mechs. "What is this?" Bar asked stepping closer to Default and Kale. "What is he saying about my son?"
The two wilted as their expressions crumpled to tears.
"He ran out there. I told him not to. I grabbed his arm. He went anyway. He thought he could reach where the humans were … the cargo containers but he never made it. A stray shot hit him and he fell. I begged him," Default said.
"We both did but he went anyway. I can't believe it. We begged him not to go," Kale said equally as emotionally.
A cry rang out as Dar finally comprehended the horror of the moment. "MY SON!? MY ONLY SON IS DEAD!?" he cried out gripping his helm in his servos.
Bar stared at his bond as the racket in his processor threatened to kill him. His son, his only child was dead. He was killed by the criminals on the airfield and there was nothing more to do. He was as speechless as others came to him gripping his arm.
"Bar … Bar," Humr asked anxiously.
Jarro grabbed Dar's arm to steer him to the bench. "Stand up, youngsters. Let Dar sit down," he said sharply to the pair who stood up moving aside, pressing themselves against the wall in their disarray. Their smart aft facades had melted now that reality had smashed them in the face. They were outwardly as well as inwardly afraid.
Fenix helped steer Bar to the bench, then turned to Prime. "Sir … what … I'm ..." He halted in his surprise and dread, then began again. "What now, Prime? If this is true, what now?"
As he spoke Barron and Blackstone walked in followed by Coln-2. They waited at the edge of the group respectfully, having been fully apprised of the situation by Prowl who stood at the door of the emergency suite.
"We have a situation that was caused by the negligent behavior of the individual involved. We also have two other individuals who contributed to the cause of death by their own actions. I am not here to assign blame or seek prosecutions. This situation is bad enough as it is but I am here to warn the individuals involved." He looked at Barron, Blackstone and Coln-2 who nodded.
Turning to the two kids, Prime considered them for a moment. Then he spoke. "You came here seeking sanctuary but you did not arrive bearing good will. You came here to help impose the circumstances that led to our downfall at the cost of the unity and comity of the whole on Cybertron. You came here with the same flawed reasoning that is directly responsible for the fall of our entire world.
"Because you believe that the rules and laws do not apply to you, your friend died. He died living by the beliefs of the System that he was taught all his life to believe. He would not be dead if he had understood and accepted that the rules applied equally to him as well as anyone else. His arrogance did not keep the bullets from killing him. War is the greatest democratic exercise anyone can undertake. Death can come to anyone at any time. Your foolish arrogance, your incredibly egotistical simplicity made this possible. Therefore, I am going to issue a Prime Decree, only the second one since the inception of this colony nearly four years ago."
Prime looked at everyone in the room, his gaze going from face to face. "I hereby decree as the Prime of Cybertron, Bearer of the Creation Matrix, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, as First Disciple of Primus and The One that the System is not only banished forever in the realms of our people no matter where they may be or what they hold in relation to it, but I declare it treason and punishable by imprisonment upon conviction of criminal stasis for a matter of 10 vorns. I decree that if you practice The System or seek its institution among Cybertronians no matter where you are, you are an enemy of the State and will face all the penalties this entails."
He turned toward Fenix and the others who listened with shocked expressions as they stared at him. "I hereby call into being a Convocation of the Will to settle this matter once and for all. There will be no System no matter what, no matter where, no matter who in the species over which I lead as determined by the Matrix, Primus and The One. So say I as Prime. So shall it be."
It was a stony kind of silence in the space of the ante room.
Then it wasn't.
-0-TBC November 20, 2013 12-22-2020