"You are all dismissed," Yoketron said.

"Thank you, Master Yoketron," everyone chorused—except me of course—and started filing out of the room. But Searchlight had had an idea while he was supposed to have been meditating, and he wanted to present it to the instructor.

So he waited until everyone else was gone besides the five of us.

"Yes, Searchlight?" Yoketron said. Again? This youngling is abnormally persistent.

"Master Yoketron," Searchlight said. "Are you sure we have to do all this meditating before we learn anything else?"

"Yes," Yoketron said.

"How about… Is it possible to come in after classes and practice more? Would that speed things up?"

Yoketron shook his helm. "You must simply be patient."

"I want to learn," Searchlight said.

Yoketron hesitated.

"Is there some way I can learn faster?"

"What exactly is it that you want to learn?" And he'd better answer truthfully.

"I want to learn to fight. I want to learn Circuit-su."

Hmmm… "Why?"

Searchlight was taken aback.

"Why?" Yoketron asked again. "Because it's cool? Because you want to impress mecha? Maybe because you want to be able to hurt mecha?"

Searchlight was even more taken aback. "I don't want to hurt anyone!"

That sounded honest. Good.

"I mean…" he admitted. "I do think it's cool."

"So do I," Yoketron said with a bit of a smile. "But Circuit-su is not only about fighting. It's about balancing. It's about understanding. It's about being in control and letting go of the things you can't control. It's about discovering who you are. It's about so much more than fighting. And that is what you do not yet understand, and that is why I am hesitant to offer to teach you, because if you are so focused on only one part of Circuit-Su, you will not learn all that you need to."

Searchlight looked down.

"Do you understand me?" Yoketron asked, still smiling.

"I guess."

"You don't sound very certain."

"You're saying you don't want to teach me to fight… because it's not really about learning how to fight."

"No," Yoketron said.

Searchlight looked at him.

"I didn't say it's not about learning how to fight. I said it's not only about learning how to fight."

Searchlight frowned.

"It's also about learning how to meditate." Now I've got his attention at least, but he still looks confused. "And if you don't learn how to meditate, it will be very difficult for you to learn to fight."

"Oh…" Searchlight said.

"Do you understand me now?"

"Maybe?"

Yoketron shook his helm. "I will train you privately if you want, on three conditions."

Searchlight took a step back. What? You what? "Wait…"

"First…"

"Wait, really?" Train me personally? Oh my Primus, I can't believe this. I just… "You'll really train me privately?"

"Calm down," Yoketron said. "You haven't heard the conditions yet."

"What are they?" Searchlight asked. I'll do anything.

"The first one is an agreement that if you give up or back out, you can't come back. You either commit to it or I never see you again, not even in third joor."

Searchlight nodded I am so in.

"The second condition is that you do not question me. You do what I ask. I cannot and will not teach an unwilling student. If you decide you know better than me, you're out."

That one was slightly harder to swallow. He'll want me to meditate all the time. But I guess he said that's important for the fighting.

Well, at least that had sunk in.

"The third thing," Yoketron said. "Is that you bring a friend who is willing to agree to the same conditions. You'll need a sparring partner, and I like teaching in pairs better anyway."

Not me, Ratchet thought.

He'll probably pick Soundwave, Breeze speculated.

Searchlight looked at me. What do you say?

I'd have to think about that a little. Yoketron was very smart. I didn't want him to figure out my secret, and I'd have to be really careful about that if I was going to spend a lot of time with him.

"I'll give you until next orn. Meet me here ten breems after the last class ends this orn, if you can, or next if you can't find someone until then."

"Deal," Searchlight said.

"Very well. I'll be seeing you, either later this orn, or next."

"Thank you, Master Yoketron." Searchlight bowed.

Master Yoketron bowed back. "You're welcome." Don't thank me yet, youngling. This will be interesting. We'll see how long he lasts.

We left.

So, 'Wave, will you come?

I didn't answer. I hadn't quite decided… well, I would probably say yes. Searchlight didn't have anyone else to go with him. I didn't have any particular desire to learn to fight, nor did I want to spend a lot of time with Master Yoketron. I got the feeling that if he found out my secret, he would really understand what it meant for me and for everyone else. I didn't know what he would do but if he decided I was a threat, I didn't think it would go well for me.


We went to our respective classes and didn't see each other for the rest of the school orn. After my last class, I went to my room to collect Ravage and took him to Searchlight's room.

Searchlight and Ratchet were already there.

"Hey, 'Wave," Searchlight said. "So, will you come? Or not. If you don't want to, that's ok." I'm not sure who else I'd bring. I mean, I'm sure I can find someone, but I'd rather it be you, mech.

I had forgotten about it.

Well, time to decide.

I don't want to drag you into this if you don't want to come.

And of course, he had to get all understanding all of a sudden.

"Okay," I said.

"Ok, you'll come?"

I nodded.

"Awesome! You're the best, 'Wave! Let's go."

"Can I come?" Ravage asked.

I shook my helm.

Not fair. Ravage looked at Ratchet.

"Take your monster with you. Don't leave it here," Ratchet said. I have homework and he will be bored and won't leave me alone.

I shook my helm and followed Searchlight out of the room, leaving Ravage behind.

"So," Searchlight said. "It's too bad our only class together is third joor, but you're lucky you're not in my pre-quintesson civilization class. We have a test every decaorn. It's ridiculous."

I shrugged.

"Of course, it doesn't matter that much, since you would get to take the tests outside of class."

I nodded.

"But that's a ridiculous number of tests."

We were quiet the rest of the way to Master Yoketron's classroom. He was there, waiting for us.

"Good orn," he said.

"Good orn Master Yoketron," Searchlight replied.

"I'm glad you could come." Yoketron looked at me, then back to Searchlight. I thought so. This should be fun. "Please begin by spending some time meditating."

Of course. "Yes, Master Yoketron."

Two circles appeared on the ground and we each sat in one and tried to meditate. Sort of. Searchlight didn't try very hard and it was pretty much impossible for me since he wasn't doing it. Yoketron watched us for a few breems, then stopped us.

"Neither of you are meditating." He said. "Do you have any thoughts about why it's so difficult for you?"

Searchlight opened his lip plates, but Yoketron stopped him. "Soundwave."

"I'm distra-acted," I said.

Yoketron nodded, though he was a little confused. There's not much in the room to distract them.

"Me too," Searchlight said.

"Please wait for me to ask you a question," Yoketron said. "Can you think of a solution to the problem, Soundwave?"

If Searchlight could meditate, then maybe I'd be able to. But his thoughts made it impossible. I couldn't explain that, though. I shrugged.

He nodded, then turned to Searchlight. "Searchlight, what exactly is it that's distracting you?"

Everything.

"Well," Searchlight said. "I guess, just thinking about other things."

Daydreamer Yoketron thought. "Then you must practice not thinking about other things. Shut off all your sensories and see how high you can count without losing focus."

"Okay," Searchlight said. I'll show him how high I can count. I'll count to two thousand. He shut off all his sensory functions and started counting.

"And Soundwave," Yoketron said once he was satisfied Searchlight was following his instructions. "What's distracting you?"

Searchlight. But I couldn't tell him that.

"I don't kno-ow," I said.

This fledgling is different. I can't quite put a finger on it, but there's something familiar... something unusual. I mean, of course he's different. Maybe it has something to do with whatever happened to his faceplate. That is a nice replacement, but no one would do that on purpose. "Do you normally have trouble concentrating?"

I nodded. Then shrugged.

"Do you have any sensory functions that are higher or lower than average?"

Uh… did being able to read everyone's thoughts count? I shrugged.

"You don't know?"

I shook my helm. Then realized that was still ambiguous. "I do-on't kno-ow."

Hmmm… it could be that he has some sort of processor damage from whatever happened to him. That would line up with the stutter. But he's doing better in this room with just the three of us so maybe other mecha make him nervous.

"Try…. Try going over to the wall. Face the wall, pretend you're alone—convince yourself you're the only one in the room, then shut off your optics and audios, and meditate."

I tried not to look relieved. That would probably work, provided I went as far away from Searchlight as possible.

"I don't know if it will help, but I want you to try it."

I nodded and got up to walk to the very edge of the room. Just a few paces from the wall, Searchlight was out of my range. Perfect. I could still hear Yoketron, but one processor was better than two.

I sat the way Yoketron had showed me and started trying to meditate. Then Yoketron walked out of my range as well, and for the first time in a long while, I was completely alone in my own helm.

All of my sensors were off so I couldn't hear or feel or see anything. It was kind of frightening. As soon as I thought that, my audios came on again and I had to turn them off a second time, telling myself I was fine. I tried to calm my spark and melt into the emptiness. It was hard at first, but soon I didn't feel quite so alone, because I could sense the sparks of the other two mechs in the room.

It was different from being able to read their processors. Sparks weren't the part of you that thought or felt. They were the part that fueled the thinking and feeling, the part that existed independent of the matter you were made of, the only part that was really real. I could feel other mecha too, moving around the school, in barely distinguishable groups and patterns.

Then Yoketron came into my range, startling me. I tried to pretend I was still meditating, but he could tell. My audios and screen had come back on anyway, so I looked up and turned around.

"Very good," Master Yoketron said. "That was much better."

I nodded.

"Well," he said. "Your joor is almost up."

I checked my chronometer. Yes. We were done. It hadn't felt like that long.

There's still something familiar… I don't know what it is. Something from a long time ago… I recognize something in him. I don't know what it is.

That made me very nervous. I couldn't have him trying to figure me out. But how could I stop him?

Yoketron went over to Searchlight and tapped his shoulder. His optics and audios came on and he stood up, feeling frustrated and disappointed in himself. He had actually tried, at least.

Yoketron dismissed us and we walked away.

"I couldn't even count to two hundred," Searchlight said. "If we have to get good at meditating, I'm never going to get to the fighting."

I shrugged.

"Did you manage it?"

I nodded.

"How?"

I shrugged.

"Well, that helps," Searchlight said, then sighed. Sorry, I'm not really mad at you. "Hey, think Ravage is winning, or Ratchet?"

"Ravage," I said. Ravage always won.

"How much you want to bet?" Ratchet's in quite the mood this orn.

"Twenty cre-edits."

"Come on. You can go higher than that."

"Thirty."

"You're on, mech."

"Y-you don't have thirty credi-its."

"I won't lose."

I shook my helm.


The next orn, Yoketron started to teach the class some basic fighting moves. It was interesting to see the different reactions that got from the students. Some were excited. Some of them had forgotten that it was even a fighting class. Breeze and Ratchet weren't too happy, but they got over it pretty quickly.

Yoketron put us in pairs after a while. I was with Ratchet. It was fairly easy to figure out what Yoketron wanted us to do—how exactly he wanted us to move. Ratchet was grumpy about it, but he wasn't too bad at it either.

I'm glad you're the one who can read processors, not Searchlight, Ratchet thought at one point. It gives you an unfair advantage in fighting.

I shrugged.

If that lunatic could do it, he'd be an even bigger menace.

I nodded. This was probably true, and in any case I wouldn't wish my abilities on anyone, no matter who they were or what they would do with them. They weren't exactly pleasant.

Searchlight was really excited when we went up to take extra lessons from Yoketron, but the Circuit-Su master just wanted us to meditate again.

I was fine with that. Meditating was my favorite part of this. In fact, since being in the class, I was having fewer processor aches. Of course, I couldn't meditate unless everyone else was doing so successfully, but at least it was quieter when they were trying. I was working on pretending to meditate too, because I didn't want Yoketron to figure out that I could only do it when no one was close to me. He was still trying to figure out what was different about me, which made me uncomfortable. And that made it hard to meditate too.

About halfway through our session, Yoketron had me get up.

"You are getting better at that."

I nodded, then spoke, knowing he wanted me to. "Thank you, Ma-aster Y-yoketron."

Primus… that's it. He's spoken to Primus. Yoketron's optics searched my screen.

I was taken aback. I had what?

He kept staring at me.

I figured I should probably say something. "Wha-at?"

"Nothing," Yoketron frowned. Scenes flashed through his helm, memories. Mecha, cannonfire, big horrifying faceplates and a blinding blue-white light. A voice.

I recognized the voice.

The memories faded, and Yoketron glanced at Searchlight, then looked back at me. "You are a very interesting and unusual young mech, Soundwave."

I shrugged.

"I don't want to trouble you with questions since I can gather you don't like to talk much. But something has been familiar about you and I've just now figured out what it is."

Thank Primus. He hadn't been close to figuring out my abilities after all. It was just that I'd talked to Primus… though… had I?

"It's been a long time, you see, since I've met anyone who has talked to Primus, especially anyone so young."

I tilted my helm to the side. "I… do-on't know…"

I'm almost certain… maybe he doesn't remember. "Yes?" he prompted.

When Searchlight and I had gone camping that first time, and I had climbed that cliff. There'd been a voice. I'd sometimes wondered if it was Primus, but I'd never told anyone about it. "Ho-ow can you tell?"

"Speaking to him adds a certain quality to your spark energy. It changes you a little. It's hard to notice unless you've spoken to him too." As he spoke, his processor did a much better job of showing me what he meant. I could see now, the difference, or sense it at least, in him.

"So y-you've talked to hi-im?"

"Yes," Yoketron said. Then he smiled. "I'll tell you the story, if you tell me yours." I am so glad that Searchlight brought this mech with him.

I looked off to the side a little. "I-I can't," I said. I still didn't want to tell him. He was too old, too experienced, too wise. He'd know I was leaving something out if I didn't explain my mind-reading. And if I told him, he would understand more than Searchlight or Breeze or Cablereach or anyone else I'd told. As nice as it would be for someone to finally completely understand me, I was afraid of it. The older I got, the more powerful and dangerous I realized my abilities were.

"Very well," Yoketron said. "I will respect that, and I won't ask again. But if you change your mind, you'll have a willing audio."

I nodded. "Thanks… Ma-aster Yoketron."

He tapped Searchlight on the shoulder and Searchlight got up.

"You will certainly need to keep working on that, but you were doing somewhat better. Now, let's go over what you learned this orn in class…"

He had us do that for a few breems, and was pleased with my progress but not Searchlight's so he told us to go back to meditating.


Afterward, Searchlight was still feeling frustrated.

"Let's go to the park or something," he said as we walked away.

I shrugged. Okay.

The park wasn't too bad, and I was feeling pretty good.

We walked past Searchlight's room and ran into Breeze on the way to pick up Ravage.

"Hey, Searchlight, Soundwave," she said. "I want to practice speaking…"

"I claimed him already. But you can come to the park with us if you want."

Breeze thought about that for a moment. "Fine." We can work on it there maybe.

"You don't have to," Searchlight said.

"No, I want to."

She followed us down the hall to my room.

Ravage jumped up onto my shoulders as soon as I opened the door. I wish you'd come earlier.

"Sorry," I said, reaching up to rub the plating behind his audios.

"Want to go to the park, Rav?" Searchlight asked.

"Yes!" Ravage said, shifting excitedly. I get to run!

We traipsed back past Searchlight's room. He stuck his helm in the door. "Ratch, we're going to the park."

"Have fun," Ratchet said.

"You can bring your homework."

"No."

"You'll be left out."

"Left out of a bunch of wind and shouting and flying playground equipment. Sounds good to me."

"C'mon, mech, we need you," Searchlight said.

"For what?"

"To make snarky comments."

Ratchet snorted.

"Really, come on. You need more sunlight."

Oh, whatever. It'll be easier just to go.

"If you don't, we can leave Ravage here with you to help you with…"

"I'm coming, I'm coming! You don't need to threaten me!"

"I'm not staying here," Ravage growled.

"I'm coming." Ratchet subspaced a bunch of datapads on his desk and came out the door. Then we headed to the park. Once we were outside, Ravage leaped down from my shoulders and walked alongside us, feeling pleased and excited. Some orn, I decided, I'd live somewhere where there were big open spaces and Ravage could run around all he wanted.

We got to the park. There weren't that many mecha there so Searchlight just played fetch with Ravage. He had a special ball that would act like a symbiot and run when it hit the ground. Ravage enjoyed chasing it.

Ratchet settled down to do his homework. Now that we were actually at the park, he was enjoying the open atmosphere. Breeze watched Searchlight for a breem, admiring how far he could throw and considering whether to try to join in. Then she sighed. I don't want to neglect you, Soundwave.

I really didn't care.

"I've been thinking," Breeze said. "About meditating. Have you noticed that you don't stutter as much after Circuit-Su class?"

I thought back. Maybe…

"I mean, you've only talked a few times while we were walking away from class, but you didn't stutter much."

I shrugged. It was quieter in that class. That probably helped a lot.

"So this time I want you to meditate for a few breems, and then try to talk.

I nodded, then beckoned for her to stay put and walked far enough away that I was out of range of her. Then I sat down on the ground and meditated.

I didn't let myself get too far into it before I stopped. I didn't want to leave Breeze waiting too long, so after a couple of breems, I came back over to her. "You think meditating wi-ill help?" I asked.

She smiled. You only stuttered once.

That was true. Not very helpful, though. The difference was noticeable, but… "I ca-an't medi-i-ita-a… not befo-ore every time I ta-alk."

She deflated a little. "No. You can't. But it's progress, right? You know there are things you can do to help you talk better." You even managed to say "meditate" the first time without any trouble.

Wow. What a feat.

"So now we know that it is possible to get better. You just need to figure out something you can do that will have a similar effect on you." I think that being nervous about talking probably doesn't help. "Do you get nervous about talking?"

I looked at her. Of course I did.

He isn't answering. That's an easy question.

Ratchet looked up and noticed a mech watching Searchlight and Ravage playing catch. What does he want?

He wasn't very far away somexpanded my range to cover the stranger as well. There was no one here, and we would probably stay long enough for my range to shrink again.

He was watching Ravage, admiring the symbiot.

Look how fast it is too… With some training, I bet it would be pretty fierce. It would be perfect.

"Soundwave?" Breeze said.

I shook my helm.

"You don't get nervous?"

"I do," I said.

I don't know if it's possible to distract the mechling or lure the cat away. Maybe he'll go play with his other friends and let the cat run loose…

He wanted Ravage.

I suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Most of the time, though, it was just admiration or jealousy, not serious plans to steal him.

"Ok, try meditating again…"

I shook my helm and walked away. She was a little confused and frustrated, but didn't say anything.

"Hey," Searchlight said when I came up next to him. Want a turn?

"We-e should go," I said.

Searchlight looked at me. Everything ok?

I beckoned to Ravage, who came over. "What?"

"We're goi-ing home."

"Awwww," Ravage said. "Why? We just got here."

I shook my helm and gestured for him to climb up on my shoulders, which he did very reluctantly.

The creepy mech was disappointed, but figured it would have been hard anyway, since there weren't many mecha around to distract us.

"Are we going back already?" Ratchet said.

"Apparently," Searchlight replied. Why? Does it have something to do with that random mech over there?

"We just got here," Ratchet said. Make up your fragging processor.

"Sorry," Searchlight said. "Not my decision. 'Wave's the one who wants to go."

"Why?" Breeze asked.

I just started walking. They followed me all the way back to the school and eventually gave up asking me what was wrong and let me go to my room with Ravage.

Ravage was kind of curious too, and upset that we hadn't stayed longer at the park. But he didn't mind napping on my shoulders while I tried to do my homework.

But homework proved impossible—there was too much to think about. I couldn't help but worry about the mech at the park, of course, but there was also what Master Yoketron had said and confirmed. That voice had been Primus. Primus had spoken to me. But why? Who was I in the grand scheme of things? And why, if he had condescended to speak to me, why just one word? Some orn I needed to go back to that cliff and try to find out.