Shards (Transformers Prime, Shattered Glass)

Chapter 3

Soundwave had the coordinates locked in and his fingers played across the consol controls, listening anxiously to the sounds of the others frantically working to repair the Groundbridge.

He was itching to be in there, with them, trying to work out the problem.

But his task was to stand there and moniter the screen.

He forced his attention back to the screen. Aside from the coordinates, the layout of the house they where trying to reach showed in the corner, along with multiple human life signals and their location within the house.

"Try it again."

Megatrons' order was followed by a disappointing electrical whine. A green light flickered at the center for a second, followed by a series of sparks bursting from the frame.

Everyone paused, waiting for the sparking to stop.

"Maybe we should-"

The suggestion was cut off by the piercing blare of an alarm and the screen at Soundwave's station began to flash red.

"Incoming missiles!" He shouted, muting the alarms, but the screen continued to flash "Seven minutes until impact!"

"Seven!? But according to Silas we should still have fifteen!" Dreadwing paused with a scowl "Why can't humans ever get anything right??"

"I'll tell you when we fix the Groundbridge that hasn't worked for three years," Megatron growled "Let's try pulling that wiring out and just directly connecting the power with the intake regulator."

"Won't that overcharge it and make it blow up?"

"Maybe," Megatron was already ripping the wiring out amidst a shower of white electricity "Or maybe it'll be enough to jump start it for one bridge, which is all we have time for. Dreadwing, try it again."

Dreadwing reached for the Groundbridge switch, but before he could pull it, the floor tilted sideways, throwing Megatron, Dreadwing, and several Vehicons down the hall.

Soundwave latched onto the side of his consul and dangled from it as he tried to pull up the navigational system.

"Sounwaaave!??"

"A rogue weather front! It moved in out of nowhere and the autocontrol can't handle the contrasting wind currents!"

There was an agonizing screech of metal as the Ally tilted in the opposite direction and the cons went sliding down the other direction.

"Can't you put it back on manual control and straighten us out?" Megatron managed to snag the corner of the Groundbridge frame and used it to steady himself.

"I'm trying, I'm-" he broke off as he realized the time until the missiles hit was quickly dwindling away to mere seconds "We don't have time!"

"Just turn the Groundbridge on! We'll fix this later!"

Soundwave powered up the Bridge just as the time hit ten seconds, the coordinates locked for the yard of the house.

Megatron lunged for the portal, but the Ally tilted again, throwing him off balance and he went headlong down the corridor.

Soundwave hesitated, one hand on the consul, one reaching out for Megatron, his eyes on the descending countdown.

With a whoosh the Groundbridge opened in a blaze of green.

Five seconds.

"I'm going through!"

"Soundwave no there's not enough time!"

Soundwave disappeared through the Groundbridge as the timer hit zero