The Diego Diaries: Redemption (dd3 673)
-0-In the clouds
They stood outside The Residence, the spectacular home of the Primes on Mars. Default was trembling as he stood next to Burnoff who looked at him with concern. "Are you going to be alright?"
"I don't know. I'm scared. I don't want to go to prison," Default said through chattering denta.
"Come on. The path to redemption lies through there," Burnoff said pointing to the massive ornate doors before them. He stared at Default who looked wretched, then stepped forward to rap on the door.
They waited a few moments almost losing their nerve when the door opened and Prowl peered out. "Gentlemen?" he asked with surprise.
"Sir, we need to speak to the Prime. We're sorry its so late but its important," Burnoff said as Default began to weep.
Prowl looked at him with concern, then nodded, stepping back to allow them to enter. The living room was vast and beautiful. Lights were low for the night, the major illumination coming from the endless walls of clear steel. They wrapped around the domicile in all directions of a domicile that encompassed the entire top floor of the tower.
A large fireplace broke up the view, a fireplace of incredible beauty. "Wait here, gentlemen," Prowl said glancing at Default. "Why don't you sit down over there. I will bring the Prime."
Burnoff nodded, then led Default to a couch where they sat together. After a moment the tread of a heavy mechanism was heard coming their way. Default looked that direction with anguish as Burnoff held his servo solemnly.
Prime appeared, then slowed as he took in the two with concern. "Gentlemen, what can I do for you?" Prime asked as he moved to sit on a chair across from them.
Burnoff looked at Default who was crying into his servos. "Dee, do you want me to tell him?"
Default nodded, his grief too extreme for him to even look at Prime.
Burnoff turned to Prime, then swallowed hard. "Dee … Default wants to tell you that he was part of the bombings that happened in the colony some time back. He wants you to know that he's abjectly sorry. He wants to have a chance to change and be a support to the colony. He rejects the System and he's … he's really, really sorry," Burnoff said glancing at the youngling mech who was leaning against him in tears, his servos covering his face in his shame.
Prime stared at the youngling for a moment, then nodded. "I see. I think we need to have a cup of something warm, Prowl. Default needs to gather himself together."
Prowl nodded, then walked away to the kitchen. He would return with 'tea' which Default would take gratefully. For now, there was only the sound of crying.
-0-Trine
He sat on the floor of his living room going over his pictures. He had snaps of everything that was going to be taken to New York for the Met showing. Then the entire collection which included a lot of other artists work would tour the world. It would visit the Louvre, the State Hermitage in Russia, the Prado, the Uffizi, the Rijksmuseum and National Museum of Korea. They would also hit the Tokyo National Museum, a special exhibit at the Forbidden City in China, the Centro Cultural Banco do Brazil, Istanbul Modern, the National Gallery of Australia and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco where the exhibition would end after a year of travel and showings. He wanted the works that represented his talent to be perfect.
A sound behind him caught his attention. Bluestreak sat down beside him slipping an arm around Sunstreaker's shoulders. "You're over thinking this, Sunstreaker."
"Maybe," Sunny said as he held to images side by side. "What do you think?"
"I love both of them," Blue said. "This one is my street. You have it down pat. All the colors and the old buildings. My house is here on this page," he said pointing to the shop where his genitors worked, the one they owned themselves. The upper story was their house. "I love it because it has everything. This one," he said pointing to an eerie street in Kaon, one which had significance to the twins for many reasons, none of them good, "represents to me your old life. You left it behind. You did it yourself. Both of them are good."
"Maybe. I need great, not good, Babe," Sunstreaker said putting them down to pick up two more. "What about these?"
They would sit together discussing the merits pro and con of the several hundred photos of his art. When they worked out what to send, it would encompass the pieces that he had chosen already.
-0-Up there
He sat in a slump sipping the hot tea, his optics forlorn and downcast. He felt like an insect in the gaze of the Prime. He felt like the Matrix was judging him, finding him unworthy on every level possible. He sat in a semi huddle wishing he was dead.
"Default," Prime said. "I would like you to tell me the story. I would like to know all of it."
He looked at Optimus at last, a youngling mech with a broken spark and enough shame to power a city. "I … I'm so sorry," he said with a tear filled voice.
"I can see that," Optimus said gently. "I would need to know the story in its entirety please."
Prowl was sitting in another chair watching the younglings with concern. It was late. They were tired but Optimus had a job that never had down time. This, however, was worth hearing for any number of reasons.
"We were stupid. Smart afts. All of us. Sio … he could get us to do anything he wanted because we're … stupid." He shook his helm. "We came here with The Attitude. You know what I mean?" he implored of Prime.
Prime nodded. Anyone who was low or mid caste not only knew about The Attitude but had suffered it their entire life. He, himself was no exception. "Continue."
"Sio wanted to make trouble. He … there's something wrong with him. He wanted to show everyone in the colony that the System was still part of things. We were weak enough to go along with him. None of us had jobs but we wanted our own business. We're good at things, electronics and things." He looked at Prime with rising emotion. "Im 'sorry. Its my fault and I'm sorry."
Prime nodded. "We know."
Default shook his helm. "We decided to put little bombs around and beat the system. Gravity can become invisible. I'm good at electronics. All of us are. We made the bombs, then set them. It was funny when they went off. We thought it was funny," he said as his expression crumpled. "It wasn't. It was wrong. We didn't intend to hurt anyone but we did. We hurt their lives. I'm so sorry for that."
It was silent a moment as they waited.
Burnoff looked at Prime with shock and sorrow. "He really is sorry, sir. He's here to confess. He's terrified of prison."
Prime nodded. "We know. Is there more to this story, Default?"
Default looked at him. "I work at the Grocery in Tyger Pax. The mechs and the femmes there, they accept me. They don't care about my caste. I never felt that kind of acceptance before. They don't care. I didn't know that it was so hard for them. None of us knew or if we did we didn't care. I … they accept me. They … forgive me. I feel so awful, so ashamed. I wish I could take it back."
"Who delivered the bombs, youngling? Gravity?" Prowl asked.
Default nodded. "He did. It was just like you deduced. We're divided now. Commotion's death was a … a terrible thing. I don't know why he did that. We told him to come back but he didn't. It was like nothing was real. You could do what you wanted and there was never going to be a penalty." He looked at Prime. "Sio is where he needs to be. He's really not … normal."
Prime nodded. "He is receiving treatment. It depends upon him how long it will take before we release him."
"I want to ask for mercy. I know I don't deserve it. I hurt people here. I wish I could undo it. I want another chance to prove that I'm sorry, that I've changed. This is the only place I've ever been that I ever felt this way. I could never go back to the System or any of it. I don't want to be hated for caste. I was. I see it now. Everyone hated us. We deserved it. Look what we did," he said looking imploringly at Prime.
Prime sat back, then glanced at Prowl. "Could you please call for Blackstone, Jarro and Barron to come here?"
Prowl nodded, then rose to walk to a comm station nearby that was hidden by a beautiful ornate cupboard. As he did Spirit appeared, pausing to look around the corner at the gathering. "Son, what are you doing up?"
"I heard talking, Ada," he said walking over to hug Prowl's leg.
"You need to go back to recharge, Spirit," Prowl said.
"I want to hug Atar," he said looking up sleepily at his ada. Then he began to walk to Optimus. That worthy picked him up to hug. Then Spirit settled against his chassis falling into recharge.
"He's grown a bit, I think," Burnoff said with a slight grin.
"He is excelling well," Prime said with a touch of parental pride. "He has got support and security. Children need to know that the path ahead of them is open, yet protected."
"We never had to worry about that," Default said bitterly. "It was just open, hang the consequences."
Prowl returned taking Spirit into his arms. "I'll tuck him in. Everyone is on their way."
Prime nodded, then sat back watching as Prowl walked to the corridor that led to the private quarters. He turned to look at Burnoff. "I hear that you are a real asset to the physicists."
Burnoff grinned. "We're working on some projects together. I'm so happy, sir. I wish I could tell you."
Prime nodded with a grin. "I hear that your ada found the carrier-warrrior glitch. I hope you convey my spark felt congratulations for that singular achievement."
"I will," Burnoff said with pride. "My ada is working with me, too, awaiting another analysis problem."
"Your atar is a real asset to our construction program. Jetta tells me that things run a lot smoother thanks to his efforts," Prime said.
Burnoff nodded proudly. "He still does the digging and hands on. He loves that. He says you can see something achieved at the end of the orn. But he also runs the specs, ordering and schematics for the dig sites. He only agreed when they agreed to allow him to dig and do the hands on, too."
"You and your family are an asset to this city. I am very happy and proud of what you three have achieved," Prime said.
Burnoff felt emotion rising inside as he nodded. "Thank you, sir. We're all determined to make our way the right way this time."
"That is obvious to me," Prime said.
A rap at the door beckoned as Prowl came back into the room. He opened the door as three mechs entered. They paused as Prime and two anxious younglings rose to stand. "Gentlemen, please come inside. We have to talk together."
Barron, Jarro and Blackstone walked inside to sit on chairs that Prowl pulled up. When they were seated, Prime looked at Barron. "Would you please tell this youngling, Barron, what his rights are right now?" Prime said nodding to Default. "Anything that he has already told me will not be admissible against him if there is a proceeding from what he says because he had not been given his rights prior."
Barron nodded, then looked at the tearful frightened youngling sitting with a solemn one, a ghost from an earlier catastrophe who'd utterly redeemed himself along with his genitors. "Default, you have the right to representation, the right to withhold statements, a right to not answer any questions asked by the authorities without consultation with an appointed attorney or attorneys. You have the right to prevent self incrimination and anything you've already said is not admissible in any proceeding that might be the outcome of what you've said or done. Do you understand?"
Default nodded. "I do. I want to tell. I have to tell."
Barron glanced at the others, then Prime nodded. "Please, Default, tell them what you told me."
Blackstone leaned in resting a servo gently on the youngling's knee assembly. "Youngling, you may have an attorney to discuss with you first what you're going to say. I volunteer. You may also withhold statements. It might be in your favor to not tell anything right now. You appear to be in an extreme condition of upset."
Default nodded. "I know. I have to tell though. I'm so ashamed. I'm so sorry. I don't know how to tell you how much."
Blackstone sat back, then glanced at Jarro.
Jarro looked at the youngling. "Do you wish to rest a moment? You don't have to do this right away."
"I do. If I don't I think I'll explode. I'm so sorry," Default said tearfully. "I think I have to."
Jarro sat back, then nodded to Prime.
Prime looked at the youngling. "Please, Default, tell everyone what you told me."
Default took Burnoff's servo and held it tightly. "I was part of the group that planted the bombs that blew up the underground and the other places," he began.
-0-TBC April 4, 2014 edited 4-5-14 7-23-19