I'm not part of your machine... | Transformers Prime | Soundwave Centric

17 - There's No More Looking Back

Breem = about 10 minute
Cycle = about 12 hour
Orbital Cycle = about a month
Vorns = 83 years (more used in a" for a very long time"/"we've known them for years!" way)
Nano-cycle = about a second
Groon = about an hour
Deca-cycle = about 3 weeks
●∘◦❀◦∘●∘◦❀◦∘●∘◦❀◦∘● = perspective change
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── = the end/beginning
- - - - - - - • - - - - - - - • - - - - - - - • - - - - - - - = time break/skip
══✬✩══╡˚✧✬✧˚╞══✩✬═══ = time skip and perspective change

Shockwave is getting the short stick of the writing today. Oops. /hj

Anyways, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who have/had celebrations this year, and Happy New Year to everyone.This was meant to be a much longer chapter (and the final one), but I felt you all deserved (a now very late) Christmas present in terms of my writing.And don't worry I have plans to finish this fic up about as best as I can.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Knockout and Starscream made it to the planned rendezvous point... Shockwave hasn't shown up and it's been groons since he said he should be there--Shockwave has never been known to be late. 

Knockout sighed, "Starscream, your tracker is turned off, correct?"

Starscream raised an optic ridge at him and began with a scoff, "Of course, we turned off our trackers as soon as we got off that prmius-dammed ship."

"Good, remember where those other trackers were located?"

"Yes..?" Starscream was confused, and then the cogs in his processor clicked into place, "You don't mean--"

Knockout nodded, swiftly transforming while speaking, "We're getting Soundwave." Then Knockout swerved off to the nearest road to get the TIC as soon as possible.  Starscream transformed himself and tailed after Knockout, yelling about this and that. 

●∘◦❀◦∘●∘◦❀◦∘●∘◦❀◦∘●

Ratchet stood at the Autobot head console, listening to all the background noise. Soundwave's whispered stories, Opitmus's clanking steps, Miko's excited cheers, Jake's disappointed groans, Bee's beeping, Bulkhead talking about something or another, Arcee commenting every few minutes to the green bot, Rafeal's clicking laptop, and Laserbeak's occasionally squeaking.

Today was planned to be a simple day,  two rounds of patrolling within the next few hours, then everyone returning and ending the day with as much domesticity as a bunch of Cybertorians eons away from home can get.

Ratchet looked away from the console to check on everyone, the kids minding their business in the recreational area, Soundwave, Bee, and Opitmus now talking together, and Bulkhead and Arcee playfully fighting.

Beeping broke up the moment, Ratchet looked back at the console. Two blinking nearly-white-blue dots advanced steadily towards their base, one running circles around another that seemed to be following the paved roads of Nevada. The dots had to just be an off-chance reading on something human-related, they were no factions of groups of Cybertorians using the pale blue showing on the monitor. Ratchet decided to disregard the readings since they didn't appear to be a problem--despite their strangeness--went back to watching the others.n

Then the beeping began again, somehow more insistent this time. Ratchet looked back at the console. He glanced back at the blinking dots, they were traveling in the same direction they were before... which was on a collision course with their base.

Ratchet held back a string of curses and called the Autobot leader, "Optimus, come over here!"

The leader paused speaking with his fellow Cybertorians, looking to the medic. "What is it, Ratchet?" He moved away from where he was to the medic. Soundwave slowly followed after Optimus, basing their actions on their interpretation of the medic's tone.

"There's odd signal readings, and they're headed towards the base." Ratchet pointed at the readings that were steadily approaching the base.

The leader attempted to reason with the medic, "Are you certain they are heading to our base? It could just be a coincidence."

Soundwave took a short moment of silence to point out the direct path the dots seemed to be making. 

"Thank you, Soundwave." The medic thanked them and then continued voting his concerns, "I'm concerned that these readings are from either unknown Cybertorians,  something from Cybertron itself, or--what I think is the most likely-- Decepticons who have disguised their signals."

"All fair points," Optimus responded thoughtfully, and then asked, "Do you have any ideas on what we should do then?"

Ratchet let out a disgruntled sigh, "Nothing better than what you're already planning, Optimus."

Soundwave took their chance to step in at Rathcet's absence of a suggestion, "Suggestion: Soundwave. Idea: Soundwave's Alt form can fly. Soundwave can scout safely in case of dangers."

Ratchet cast his judgment at the suggestion, bluntness always being one of the medic specialties, "That's an awful idea." he appeared to be thinking of ways to deny Soundwave's suggestion before Optimus could accept it. "It is what I suspect, I'm sure the Decepticons are more than ready to rip you into scrap--"

"Ratchet, please." Optimus butted in to stop the ambulance from saying anything further, "I believe Soundwave is fully capable to do this themselves. They would suggest it if they did not believe they had the abilities to succeed." The leader looked to Soundwave to back him up on his statements, which Soundwave simply nodded along with.

"Soundwave: Insists."

Ratchet sighed, "Okay, fine! You can go scout out this, but if anything is there beyond humans, you have to report back immediately." The medic sighed and feigned carelessness about his friend, "I don't want to patch up your needlessly complicated frame."

A smiley emoji materialized on Soundwave's visor coupled with a, about as eager looking as they could appear, nod before they all but transformed and flew out of the base. 

Optimus laughed light-heartedly at the notorious spy, knowing that they held an infinity for all things research and communication. Ratchet shook his helm and turned back to track the bot as they went to check out the readings, worry built deep into his frame for the bot. The rest of the base was mildly confused to outright yelling questions across the base at Optimus and Ratchet. 

They'd find out what was going on soon.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I also want to thank everyone who's read the, now, 17 chapters of this story so far. It's crazy to me how many people have this (2798 hits on ao3 and about 956 reads on Wattpad) and I really appreciate the support I get through the kudos and the comments.Again, thank you! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stay to read the last one.