Scars Don't Heal - Transformers Prime (1)

Chapter Thirteen

[Amanda]

  We arrived back at base to find Ratchet focused on his monitors. The four of us raced up to the platform, and I leaned over the rail to see what Ratchet was looking at. On his screen was a diagram of the space bridge, along with many purple dots closing in on it.

  "Optimus!" Ratchet said, directing his voice to the communication link. "I'm registering a rapidly expanding mass in the space bridge vortex. One with a peculiar energy signature."

  "Dark energon," Optimus said grimly.

  Our eyes stayed on the screen as the number of purple dots grew more and more until it almost covered the screen. Behind us, I spotted a bit of movement and saw Agent Fowler get up before walking towards us. He gave me that 'we're going to talk about this' look, but I shook my head and indicated at the screen. Agent Fowler nodded, his gaze still stern.

  "Ratchet," Optimus continued. "We must destroy the space bridge. There's enough live energon cursing through it to achieve detonation, but we lack the firepower to ignite it."

  Ratchet shook his head. "If I knew how the space bridge was engineered, I might find a tactical way of accomplishing that feat."

  I turned around. "Would schematics help?" I held up my phone, displaying a page of the information I downloaded. The corner of Ratchet's mouth quirked up for a second, before going grim again.

  "Optimus, I must say the space bridge is our sole hope of ever returning to Cybertron," The Autobot said. "Are you certain it's destruction is the only option?"

  The Autobot leader paused for a heartbeat. "I am afraid so."

  "Then by all means," Ratchet said, new determination in his tone. "Let us light our darkest hour."

  "Autobots," Optimus acknowledged those who were with him. "Take your positions and follow Ratchet's lead. While I make my stand."

  "Good luck, Optimus," I said, the words coming out of my mouth before I could even realize it. That was a stupid thing to say, none of this relied on luck.

  I heard a click, indicating the lead Autobot had turned off his comm, though, somehow, I knew he heard me. Snapping into action, I connected my phone to the nearest monitor, uploading the information I had gathered at the dish array in Texas. Ratchet studied them as they came, as the others kept their eyes on the screen that displayed the purple dots.

  "These things are getting closer," Agent Fowler commented. "That's bad right?"

  The four of us nodded while Ratchet didn't even look up from his work. His eyes skimmed back and forth through the information I uploaded, his mind obviously hard at work.

  "Ratchet," Arcee said through the comm link. "We're in position."

  That was when Ratchet pulled up the final bit of information he needed. "Arcee, pay close attention. Pull out the plate of metal you're standing on, and follow the line from the flow regulator to the energon pump. There should be a valve."

  "I see it," Arcee confirmed. For some reason, my heart was racing, my nerves running high. Now everything seemed to crash in on me. This really was real, and not something anything I've ever done prepared me for. I hated being out of control, but now I realized all of this was and I could do nothing but sit here and wait.

  No, not nothing. You did help deliver the information that'll destroy the space bridge.

  Right.

  "Good," Ratchet continued. "To turn all that power against itself, all you need to do is reverse the current."

  A pause. "Current reversed."