The Touch Part 8

The City: IACON

[IACON LIBRARY]

Orion Pax returned to the IACON library, tired from taking the train from a city as far away as Kaon. He was a little upset that he couldn't congratulate D-16, but he knew that his friend was eager to finally enjoy the freedom he had dreamed of.

The big story of the moment was that a great gladiator would finally be released from the Kaon arena, so Orion was eager to greet his friend outside the arena tomorrow morning, and until the appointed time for his friend's release arrived, he would take advantage of some time to study in the library. Fortunately, Alpha trusted him to be responsible and had one of the keys to the library, so he could sometimes stay up all night and study, even though Alpha sometimes kicked him out for overdoing it.

When Orion opened the door and stepped into the corridors, he expected to see Alpha reviewing or writing files, but to his surprise, the person inside was another visitor who appeared quite frequently.

"Ratchet? Why are you here?" Orion asked, surprised to see IACON's most famous doctor in the library at this hour.

"Just studying in my spare time. And you, where have you been?" Ratchet asked, focusing on the holographic files containing tons of medical information. "It's rare to see you outside the library."

"I've been watching the gladiatorial arenas, or trying to." Orion admitted, a bit embarrassed.

"Those barbaric arenas disgust me, treating life as a mere game offends me in many ways." Ratchet stared at Orion Pax for a moment, ignoring his study. "I thought you hated going to the arenas."

"I just support D-16, he's my friend, you know that." Orion stepped closer, seeing the complex words and images of how Cybertronian biology worked. "Why are you studying the same medical books?"

"For the same reason you enjoy studying the history of IACON, even though I know every letter and symbol in those files, I feel I can improve a little more by rereading them, even if that improvement is insignificant." Ratchet admitted, turning off the hologram of a file.

"Where is Mr. Alpha? Is he writing in his office by any chance?" Orion asked, seeing no sign of the grumpy old man who was a father figure to him.

"Alpha T... Cough cough... Alpha told me he was going to take care of some business in Crystal City, that he would be back before dawn." Ratchet replied, almost revealing Alpha Trion's real name to Orion, but fortunately the young librarian bot didn't realize his mistake.

Ratchet is an old robot, his age matches his experience, so he knew very well that the former City Librarian was none other than one of the thirteen Primes, retired due to Cybertronian politics and by his own choice. He knew that the former Prime was retired from his duties, but that didn't mean that he had nothing to offer, on the contrary, when he discovered that the former librarian was Alpha Trion himself, he decided to learn from him, at least in the aspect of medicine and history, and it is clear that Alpha denied him true identity at first, but in time he admitted it and they became friends.

Ratchet, as a physician, understood very well how Cybertronian biology worked, and he knew very well that, depending on age to a certain extent, any bot could present complete physical changes in its body or not to symbolize a maturity in its form, but that was entirely up to the Cybertronian itself. He knew that Alpha Trion had chosen to appear much older than he had been portrayed in history when his powers were at their peak, so that no one would recognize him even if they saw him directly.

Although Ratchet was friends with the former Prime, Alpha Trion avoided talking about his past, understanding that even someone who once held the title of god was haunted by his own past. Ratchet recognized the lost look Alpha Trion sometimes wore, it was that of someone who carried a lot of guilt in his head, unable to forget the past, which is why he always avoided topics related to the other Primes, his brothers.

"So Mr. Alpha left you here alone to take care of the library?" Orion asked, already knowing the answer.

"I don't mind, I like being here, it's a very peaceful place to study, I can't imagine spending a lot of time with noisy people, I'd probably die sooner from stress." Ratchet smiled at the corner of his mouth, not wanting to say more than he wanted to, even though Orion Pax was someone you could talk to quietly.

Orion understood how Ratchet thought, he loved to read and learn, so he really understood the frustrating feeling when someone interrupted his immersion in his reading. "Ratchet, I have a question I've been thinking about for the past few years. I wanted to ask Mr. Alpha, but someone as experienced as you could answer my doubts."

Ratchet looked at Orion Pax curiously, raising an eyebrow, knowing that the young man before him was someone relatively wise for his age. "A question? If I can answer it, that's fine."

"The more I've delved into research over the past few years, the more I've become concerned about the direction Cybertron is taking. I feel like we're all in a big barrel that's about to explode. I feel like a war is about to start, and all it will take is one simple push, like a game of dominoes, for everything to come crashing down." Orion whispered, seeing that Ratchet was silent and agreed with his comment. "Let's say... If you had great power in your hands, would you use it to start a revolution or to prevent a catastrophe?"

"I admit that this is a rather complex question, given our current situation." Ratchet crossed his arms, his eyes wandering to the ceiling of the library as if searching for an answer. "It's a very complex subject, Orion... Power in the hands of those who already know strength can lead to ruin, and power in the hands of the weak can become great because they know the feeling of being weak, but are not immune to greed, which leads to the same main point. Everyone has dreamed of having great power, the ability to make decisions and lead Cybertron to glory, but... it is a heavy burden.

"A heavy burden?" Orion was surprised.

"Carrying people's hopes, Orion, is too heavy a burden. Expectations on you can cause too much pressure and emotional imbalance, distorting your ideas and sinking you into your own greed, not realizing that you are changing so much that there is no return without destroying everything that once defined you." Ratchet looked at Orion with a serious look that reflected his long life. "To carry hope, to strengthen the will of the weak, to take on countless decisions and responsibilities, and to be willing to humble yourself to protect the weak. People with these qualities are what should have the power, the power to change the world, people of character who honor their ideals without putting people in danger."

"You mean you never wish you had the power to change the world? You're an amazing doctor, you save lives every day, you fit those descriptions." Orion said as Ratchet shook his head, rejecting the compliment.

"That is my answer to your question Orion, it is not a question of who I want to have the power, but rather who should have the power to change our world." Ratchet smiled, seeing the obvious surprise that Orion could not hide. "I am saying that Cybertron needs a leader in whom we can place our trust."

"And who should we put our trust in?" Orion asked, his deepest doubts pouring out of his Spark until he remembered a certain person he considered a brother. "D-16 fits that description, maybe he..."

"No offense, Orion, but I don't see your friend as someone who could save Cybertron." Ratchet quickly interrupted Orion. "Your friend lived in darkness for many years and knew violence as a means of survival and as an answer to all his doubts. Maybe I'm wrong, but every time I see him fight, I don't see a man who can carry the burden of millions on his back, I see an executioner ready to punish."

Orion was frustrated by Ratchet's description of his friend, but he knew that Ratchet was a demanding doctor and did not support violence, so his opinion of D-16 had its logic. "So... how would we know who the right person is?" Orion asked again, feeling complex doubts sinking into his soul.

"A person may become a warrior when forged in battle, but a true leader is born with a noble heart." Ratchet couldn't help but smile as he saw how Orion seemed to consider his words more and more, trying to absorb the worldview he was sharing with him. "Power cannot be acquired by desire, but rather by necessity. For those who are worthy of power are those who are always willing to fight against injustice, no matter how difficult or impossible it may be."

Orion was silent for a few seconds. He understood Ratchet's philosophy, something he agreed with, but he did not deny that it was practically ideological and out of touch with reality. It is rare for someone so noble to exist. Carrying everyone's hopes on your shoulders and standing up to protect them is a demonstration of pure willpower. He smiled. It was an impossible dream, but it was worth dreaming it and believing that one day someone with such determination would appear.

"Listen, Orion, the leader I want for Cybertron must already exist among us, I believe he does." Ratchet placed his hand on his chest, symbolizing the spark. "But he may not be here yet." He then placed his fingers on his head, symbolizing mind. "Just as warriors are forged, true leaders are revealed in the face of adversity."

"You are very wise." Orion admitted, admiring Ratchet's wisdom.

"I am just an old man who believes in a better future for all. If we stop believing, then we're no different than simple machines. We are Cybertronians, our Spark is proof of our individuality, proof of our existence." Ratchet said, showing his pride. "Remember, Orion, we are defined by our choices, not the will of others, so I believe that one day one person will be worthy of carrying the hope of all on his back."

***

After a few minutes, Ratchet reorganized the files he was using and said goodbye to Orion Pax, deciding to return to his residence or to the hospital, he was never without something to do, being someone who does not know how to use his free time to do anything not related to his work.

Orion was so worried about Ratchet's words that he couldn't even concentrate on studying the various files in the library. With his mind full of uncertainty, he climbed the stairs to the terrace, which allowed him to see all the beauty of IACON, seeing the neon lights shining on the buildings, giving a beautiful contrast to the magnificent city.

"(Sigh) Seeing the city from this angle, it looks perfect, but..." Before Orion Pax could finish speaking, he heard the sound of a jet flying at high speed, breaking the sound barrier. He saw that the fighter was silver in color, reminding him of the colors of an old friend. "D?"

The D-16 approached at high speed, flew over Orion, then quickly rose to high altitude to transform into humanoid mode and landed near Orion, using its legs to cushion the impact, indifferent to the height to which it eventually fell, as if it were a pattern that would become its habit in the future.

"So this is the famous IACON Library, as you told me it was a gigantic golden building, there was no way I could have mistaken the place." D-16 smiled as he saw the astonishment on his friend's face.

"I thought you couldn't be released until tomorrow morning." Orion said, recovering from his surprise.

"My release came sooner than I expected, the good thing is I don't have to worry about the paparazzi for now." D-16 scoffed, turning his head to the side and his blue eyes took in the beauty of the city of IACON for a second, but he didn't let himself be influenced, even now that he was free, because it was in this city that his true enemies enjoyed themselves at the expense of the population.

"Since when can you fly?" Orion asked, genuinely surprised. "You know you can't fly without a license, right?"

"I've always been an aviator, I just don't need to show off my wings to do so." D-16 crossed his arms, ignoring Orion's warning. "Those bastards blocked my ability to transform, now I intend to use it like never before."

"IACON has many rules regarding flying bots, it is quite possible that you will end up receiving a fine." Orion noticed D-16 stiffen for a moment, it was ironic, he had barely freed himself and could already be paying taxes to the government. "Next time I suggest you take a ground vehicle mode, it might be better for you."

"Humph... lose my ability to fly? Never, but... if I had a vehicle mode, I would probably choose a tank." D-16 confessed, wondering for a moment if it would be worth having such a vehicle mode, something to match the weapon embedded in his right arm.