The Diego Diaries: Go (620)
-0-On their way
They had received the alert at home. Heading out, they met on the train that would take them to Metroplex Station #2. Nitro stepped out of his home in Tower 24 in the Mare Tranquilitatis and grimly walked down the long winding paths to the downtown district where Club Cybertron was located. It was getting dark when he met the others coming up out of the station nearby. They would go to the club together.
-0-Prime
He received the news from Springer who was nearly at the club himself. He sat a moment filled with dread and frustration. They had explained things as best they could and it was on everyone's honor to obey their oath. He didn't consider any oath trivial but those given to the Matrix has a special distinction. They were holy.
He rose to leave, a pensive Prowl arranging sitters. When the sitter who lived in the building as well arrived, Prowl left to go to the club as well. He did so with a sense of unease that someone had so cavalierly thrown over something so grave as a promise to Primus. For him, it was inconceivable. Even at his most cynical and manipulative, even when he was ready to cut ethical corners to win and thereby end the war, Prowl would never have broken an oath to the Matrix.
It was the line in the sand over which any of his incarnations would have never crossed.
-0-There
When they entered, they paused to take in the scene. Mechs were sitting at a table looking obliterated while someone they were with was lying on the floor in a frightful condition. Others who were in the restaurant stood silently staring at the body and Springer with disbelief. A fussy child could be heard somewhere in the dining room. Springer turned to the substation supervisor. "Have you taken statements from those in the restaurant?"
He nodded. "We have statements from everyone," he said.
"Then give the diners a chance to go. Stand in front of the body so children don't see it," Springer said moving aside so Ratchet could come into the room.
Ratchet walked to the table, then knelt. An obliterated mech lay in bits and pieces on the floor. He rose and moved to stand in front of it with others as families and individuals began to leave. A child who was small and confused whimpered as he passed with his family. Ratchet petted his leg as he was carried by, then all the room was empty but for the mechs at the table and staff.
Ratchet turned, then knelt again scanning the mech's remains. "This is thorough," he said as Prime followed by Prowl entered the room. Behind them, grim faced and upset, Nitro, Revo, Scar, Thundercracker and Rampage followed. They stood together staring at the body. It was silent a moment, then Ratchet rose. He looked at the mechs at the table. "Were you with this mech?"
They nodded but didn't speak.
"What did he do? Mock the Matrix?" Ratchet asked.
One of them, the older mech nodded. "He was bored. He wanted to make trouble. None of us wanted to but he was insistent. We warned him but he wouldn't listen. He mocked the Matrix."
A young mech, the bartender nodded in agreement. "He did. He made a spectacle of it. Then that happened." He nodded at the char broiled remains of a former Decepticon dumbass on the floor.
Ratchet glanced at the remains, then Prime. "What we have here is an overload of all his systems. The only thing that could be similar to this is if he had been struck in the middle of his chassis by a major bolt of lightning. And I do mean major. It would have to be massive to cause an interior fusion and subsequent melting of all his internals. It began in his spark chamber, then flashed throughout his body. He literally melted, then exploded."
"Fire and smoke were coming out of his mouth, his optics … everywhere. He just expanded, then shattered," the big mech said slowly, his shock evident. "I've been in battles all my life but I have never seen this before. Never." The others nodded silently.
"What do you feel, Optimus?" Ratchet asked as he turned to the big mechanism who was staring at the figure on the floor with regret and dismay.
Optimus glanced at Ratchet. "Calm. Sadness. I feel sadness that an oath given wasn't kept."
"We warned him. We told him to shut up and not do this," the older mech said as the others nodded. "We told him the Matrix wouldn't take insult or breaking of an oath. He wouldn't listen."
"Because he's a dumb aft. Well, the Matrix is real, not a myth," Ratchet said as he stepped aside for a stretcher team. "Make sure you test before touching. He's still radiating heat. There are a lot of chars and melted metal that goes with him."
The stretcher team nodded, then began to gather up the slightly scattered parts of Alco, formerly of Capital City, Cybertron and now to be Alco of Autobot City Mausoleum. When his body and all that could be taken was lifted, the stretcher disappeared. Scorch marks were on the stone floor, bits and small pieces here and there. A team of forensic med techs would come shortly to clean up the scene after taking the requisite samples and images for legal.
Nitro shook his helm as the body passed by. He looked at Prime. "We had a perfect record. None of us broke the oath. I don't like this one bit."
"It was bound to happen," Prime said turning to the big angry Seeker. "There is nothing but honor in the former Decepticon community. We are one. He himself is responsible for his demise."
Rampage stood staring at the floor. He knew his reputation but it wasn't part of himself. That part had gone away like a nightmare does when you awake. It was slightly unsettling that this sort of thing was his past. He looked at Prime. "We will make sure that our mechs and femmes understand that when the oath was given, it was taken."
Prime nodded. "I will appreciate that, Rampage. Understand. This was the choice of one individual and not the burden of anyone else."
"I think I will go and see to the autopsy. We have a great forensic doctor on shift tonight," Ratchet said. "I want to get this right."
Prime nodded, then they watched him go. Revo turned to the mechs at the table. "Its just us here, you, me and them. All of us are mechs at arms. I want the truth. Is this a one off or do we have to have a talk with anyone. Tell us who they are now. If I find out that you covered for someone and something like this happens again, you will regret it."
The others equally grim-faced looked at the silent group of mechs with the same expression. The older mech held up his servos. "One off. This surprised us too. We told him. We tried to prevent this."
Revo nodded, then glanced at his fellows. "We have to have a meeting among the council and make sure that everyone is given the heads up. I don't want this to happen again." They nodded, then glanced at Prime. "We will bury him, Optimus. He has no family here."
Prime nodded. "Ratchet can release him when the autopsy is completed. Until then, I think it would be a good idea to go home."
The mechs at the table rose, their nervousness evident. Then they turned to walk to the door and beyond. Scar and Revo watched them, then nodded to Prime. They turned and followed. Thundercracker watched them, then turned to Prime once more. "I was never really very religious, Prime. I did and still do believe in our heritage … our culture. I would like to ask you some things."
Prime nodded. "Very well."
"Did you know that he broke his oath?" Thundercracker asked.
"No. Sometimes it works independently of me or my knowing. I had no idea this happened until I got the call," Optimus said.
Thundercracker nodded. "I am wondering … this was foolish. Maybe he wasn't religious. Maybe he didn't believe. It seems a hard toll to pay for being stupid."
Prime considered that. "This Matrix carries a piece of the spark of Primus. It is pure and holy. It would react to an oath breaking badly because Primus is the embodiment of keeping your word. Consider that the Matrices that are part of our heritage came from the Pantheon and The One. Their destiny is to care for and protect us. Primus gave His freedom and His life to ensure our own. There is nothing He wasn't prepared to do to save us and ensure our future greatness. That is a level of integrity that is perhaps absolute and I do not believe that anyone who breaks an oath with that energy will be received well by it. I am not clear that it has the choice of what comes next. In any case, Alco has joined with the Matrix and is therefore beyond the concerns of the material world. I am hoping however that this is the last individual that does this. It is a sad thing and I feel it in the Matrix as well."
"You were not raised religious?" Prowl asked curiously.
Thundercracker shrugged. "Not really. I learned everything I was supposed to know but it was hard to think about such things when there was so much privation and injustice."
Prowl nodded. "I can see that."
Thundercracker grinned slightly. "Starscream is religious and so is Sky Warp. I am the odd mech out but we will raise the sparklings to know this. It is part of who we are."
Prowl nodded. "It is unfortunate that Alco forgot that."
Med techs came in the door with kits and collection containers. They stepped back to watch a moment, then they stepped outside. The crowd was still there. Prowl stepped forward. "An accident happened. The club is closed for the evening. Come back tomorrow." He turned, then paused.
Across the street, Skorponok and Barricade stood watching. Then Barricade crossed and paused before them. "What happened? Looks like a situation," he said as he stood smirking at Prime and Prowl.
"A dumb aft broke his oath to the Matrix. He found out the error of his ways. Stand here long enough and you can see what's left of him carried out in buckets," Ironhide said coldly.
"So that old story is true," Barricade replied.
Nitro looked at him, then stepped closer. "Move along, Barricade."
"Or what?" Barricade asked turning to throw his menace on the Seeker.
"You will lose your privileges," Prowl said calmly.
Barricade glanced at Prowl, a slow smirk appearing on his face. "Well … since you asked so nicely." He stepped back, then turned to walk away slowly. Joining Skorponok, he turned to watch the group from the other side of the street.
"He and I … someday," Nitro said softly.
The crowd dispersed and so did they eventually. The forensic doctor would do the autopsy and send the report to Ratchet, Barron and the Office of the Primes. Alco would be branded, wrapped in a shroud to bind his jumbled body tightly, then turned over to the Former Decepticon Association. Two orns later, nearly every former Decepticon in the city would walk the distance from the hospital bearing his body, following him to his final place of rest. Among them would be Ratchet, Prime and Prowl.
-0-Later that night
The dinner was money and when the apartment was restored to its former glory as everything was carted out by the older younglings, it was time for baths or as they liked to call it 'play tag' with the younger ones. The usual mayhem ensued with much howling and hiding behind things. When all were in berths with the requisite dollies and huggies, Ratchet and Ironhide sat down on their chairs. It was finally peaceful.
"What a night. By the way, I am completely fragged off that we can't do one thing without it being interrupted," Ratchet said.
Ironhide grinned, then nodded as he sat in his chair. Handing Ratchet another piece of Celebration cake and a bottle of beer, he placed his own on the end table next to him. He turned on the television sound muted to wait for the news. "Great dinner. Better cake."
"You always were a sucker for that cake. Oil cake is good too," Ratchet said as he took a bite at last. "I'm glad everyone didn't eat all of it."
"Me too." The Hourly News came on so Ironhide unmuted the sound.
"Good evening, Autobot Nation. This is Jacx with the hourly news. Tonight, an incident was reported that occurred in Club Cybertron. Details are still being sorted but Lim-Lee spoke to Chief of Security for Mars, Commander Springer."
(Cut to lobby of hospital where Springer is standing with a petite little femme)
"Commander, what is the story about the incident at Club Cybertron earlier this evening? What can you tell us?"
Springer stood with a solemn expression. "It is still being investigated but it would appear that a former Decepticon mech whose name is still being withheld pending the investigation broke his oath to the Matrix. He was with a group of friends, expressed discontent, then asked them to join him in adventure. He was subsequently killed when the Matrix determined that he had broken his oath and posed a danger to the community."
"Then it was fatal," Lim-Lee said.
Springer nodded grimly. "It was unnecessary. Several former Decepticons who were there … most of the leadership of the Former Decepticon Association expressed embarrassment that a former 'Con would break his oath. It is the responsibility of the mech in question and not a referendum on anyone else."
Lim-Lee nodded. "Back to you, Jacx."
(Cut to Jacx in the studio)
"I talked to the Prime via monitor shortly ago to get his reaction to the news, this first time event here in the Primal Colony." The image changed to Jacx sitting before a huge monitor. "Sir, thank you for speaking to us. What can you tell us about the incident tonight at Club Cybertron?"
"There is little to tell pending the autopsy. We have not released his name until we clarify that any kin he might have be notified. The Former Decepticon Association have taken the responsibility of burying him in the Mausoleum. They will I am sure have information about that soon. As for me, I am very sad and hopeful that this will be the last. The oath is not to be taken nor undertaken lightly."
"Thank you, sir," Jacx said. He turned to the screen and continued the broadcast.
Ratchet looked at Ironhide. "More cake, little sparkling?"
"Do you have to ask?" Ironhide said with a grin.
"I CAN TOO!?" a loud cheery voice said from down the hallway.
"He's been there a while." -Ratchet grinning
"He has but he's better. Little mech has skills." -Ironhide grinning.
Orion did. He would sit on his father's lap and share a piece of cake. Then and only then would he hit the hay again. Outside, the stars were thick in the sky. Ships and Seekers came and went. Inside, all was well for a while.
-0-TBC February 11, 2014 edited 3-11-14