Note: Just so you know, we time-jumped about a quarter of a vorn.


I didn't react to the entry request at my door. I knew who it was and I wasn't sure whether I wanted to let him in.

The twins were making a mess of my desk, knocking things over and hitting each other with datapad styluses. They paused in their game to look at me.

Are you going to get that? Rumble wondered.

Who is it? Frenzy asked.

I sighed and got up to open the door and let Cablereach in.

I didn't look at him.

"Soundwave."

He couldn't tell whether I was looking at him.

"Can we talk?"

I nodded once. He sat in a chair by the side of the room. How are you doing? We haven't heard from you for a long time. Even Ratchet and Breeze haven't heard from you.

I didn't answer.

"Soundwave, they miss you," Cablereach said.

Searchlight had made us promise to stay in touch. Breeze and Ratchet had tried. Breeze, though, had gone back to Praxus and Ratchet was busy with school. I hadn't heard from either of them for decaorns.

"I was wondering if you're ready to come back." Cablereach said. "The Academy is willing to allow you to take the entrance exams. The next term starts in a quartex."

Ratchet had already been there for a term.

"Well?" Cablereach asked. Are you ready? Searchlight wouldn't want you to sit in your room and mope for the rest of your life.

He wouldn't. I could imagine how he'd react to hearing how long I'd been at Crescent's house. "Really, 'Wave? Come on, get up. I am not letting you sit in here forever. What the pit do you think that's going to accomplish?"

"Soundwave?"

"A-all right."

Oh no, don't tell me the stutter's back. "Ok. So can I schedule you to take the entrance exams?"

I nodded.

"How's your range?"

It wasn't large enough to be a problem yet. "Fine."

I'm so sorry about what happened. I don't know what we should have done, but I still feel like we could have prevented it if I was taking it more seriously. Please don't let it destroy you. You have to move forward if you want to recover.

I didn't move. Eventually, he stood up. "I'll send you the information about when and where the exams will be. Good luck," he said, then left.

Ravage, who'd been curled up on my berth, hopped up onto my shoulders and rubbed his helm against the side of mine. I reached up absently and stroked the plating behind his audios.

I wasn't sure I was ready to go back to Iacon. I wasn't sure I was ready to leave my room, much less go back to the place where it had happened. Crescent and I had mostly ignored each other this past quarter of a vorn. So long as I kept the twins in my room and didn't bother her, she didn't care if I was here.

It had been nearly three decaorns since I'd set pede out of the house. My symbiots missed the sun, but they never complained. The twins were still a little rowdy, but they were mostly well-behaved when I was there, and I was making very slow progress teaching Frenzy to read. Rumble knew how already. Laserbeak had picked it up right away too and if I used a large enough datapad, she could type messages with her claws. She enjoyed being able to communicate with Ravage.

Are we going to leave Crescent's house if you do what Cablereach wants? Ravage wondered.

I nodded.

Are you going to do it?

I hesitated, then nodded again.


The city was no more or less golden than the last time I had been here. But this time clouds hung over the sky in a thin haze that blocked the light from the sun dome and dulled the shine of the towers and pillars. I had left all of my symbiots at Crescent's house with firm instructions to stay in my room. Crescent wasn't there, but if they got out and made a mess, she'd find out about it and probably kick us out of the house. I was out of secondary school now, so she was legally allowed to do so.

Not that we needed to worry about that for much longer. If I got into the Academy, I would be living in Iacon.

I followed the directions I'd been given and crossed campus. Perceptor had scheduled me an individual exam, an orn before the general entrance exams started, so it wasn't crowded.

I was given the test and asked to sit in a room full of empty desks and chairs. A faculty member watched me, thinking about her plans for the next off-cycle. I'd forgotten how distracting mecha could be, and wondered how I'd ever put up with having tent to twelve on my helm on average all the time.

I was relatively sure about most of my answers on the test. There was a surprisingly large section that was just spitting out facts. If you'd bothered to learn these things, you should have no trouble recalling it unless there was something glitched in your data recalling functions or memory storage.

It took me most of two joors to finish the test. The femme watching me was surprised—apparently it normally took longer, but she calmly accepted my test and told me I could go. I wouldn't know whether I'd made it until after they gave the general entrance exam and could choose from all the applicants.

I left. I didn't leave Iacon yet, though. Cablereach had told me that Perceptor wanted to see me when I came, so I walked over to the science building.

As I approached Perceptor's office, I recognized another mind I knew. It was dizzying and disorienting listening to his thoughts and I hesitated and almost turned away. Then again, part of me wouldn't mind seeing a familiar faceplate. I requested entry at the door and Perceptor let me in.

"…but if you modified the…" Wheeljack trailed off as he saw me. "Soundwave?"

I nodded and came in.

"Hey!" Wheeljack grinned. "How have you been? I haven't seen you for a quarter of a vorn!"

"Did you take the entrance exam?" Perceptor asked.

I nodded.

"So you're coming to the Academy?" Wheeljack said. "That's awesome!" I should go get Ratchet. "Where were you?" He could have come last term… I think Ratchet said it had something to do with Searchlight. Primus, that was awful. I still remember that. None of us are ever going to forget that. It really affected Shockwave too.

"Wheeljack," Perceptor said. "Thank you for coming to talk with me. May I speak to Soundwave in private now? There are a few things I need to discuss with him."

"Sure," Wheeljack said. I'll go find Ratchet. He'll be in the Hall of Records, probably. I hope they don't kick me out of there before I can talk to him. "Good to see you again, Soundwave." He darted out the door and closed it behind himself.

"Well," Perceptor said. "How was the test?"

"Ok," I said.

Seeing your other scores, at least the ones that you got when you were allowed to take tests on your own, I'd expect you to do well enough.

I had to ask. "Why is the-e-re a fact re-ecalling section that's so long?"

"Hmmm? On the exam?" Cablreach said he was worried about the stutter coming back.

I nodded.

"I am unsure. It does seem a little pointless, doesn't it? Perhaps it's to make sure you've had enough previous education." That would make it impossible for anyone who'd gone to a low-end public school to pass that section, which is unethical, but that's not the worst thing that goes on here. "Can we measure your range? I want to see how much it's grown since we spoke last."

I nodded.

"Do you think that you would be comfortable in the dorms with the level that it's at?"

I hesitated, then shook my helm.

"If you would like, you can rent a room in my house," Perceptor said. "I normally don't allow students to do that, but you are a bit of a special case. Does that sound agreeable?"

I nodded.

So long as I ask him yes and no questions, he's not going to use his voice, is he?

No, I wasn't.

"Does your range go beyond my office?"

I nodded.

"Then we'll need to go out into the hall." Tell me when you can't hear my thoughts anymore.

We tested my range and calculated how fast it had been growing on average, then tried to estimate how long we had before I needed surgery again unless I could figure out how to control it. He had several things he wanted me to try.

Then we went back into his office and spoke for a few breems. He told me he was fine with my symbiots coming so long as I kept them out of this workroom and the basement.

When we were done talking, I left. I doubted Wheeljack had been able to convince Ratchet to come talk to me, so I didn't feel too bad leaving now. It wasn't that I didn't want to see him, but I didn't want to listen to him thinking about what had happened to Searchlight. I'd had enough of that for one orn.

So I went back to Crescent's house.


The news came a two decaorns later that I'd been accepted. Crescent was relieved. She transferred enough credit to my account to get me through the Academy and told me never to come back to her house. I stood outside in the bright sunlight for a moment with all my symbiots clinging to me, and stared at my home of five vorns. It still felt like an unfamiliar place.

I wasn't really going to miss Crescent, but on some level maybe I was. Definitely more than she would miss me. Despite complaining about it constantly, she really had provided energon, and a roof.

"Good riddance," Ravage said.

I nodded and turned to walk away.

We took a mass transit instead of a groundbridge. I nearly lost Frenzy out the window at one point and Rumble got sick about halfway through the trip, but it could have been worse. They enjoyed themselves for the most part. It was late when we got to Iacon, so I went straight to Perceptor's house. I'd messaged him with the news and so he wasn't surprised to see me.

"Hello, Soundwave," he said cheerfully. "Come in."

I followed him in and he led me to a relatively spacious room. "This room's the one you're renting. It's a bit bare, but you can decorate it however you like."

Ravage jumped off of my shoulders onto the desk.

That is one enormous symbiot. I suppose he must be pretty tame, but he's still a little intimidating.

"Everyone," I said. "This is Perceptor."

They all looked at him.

He smiled nervously. "Hello."

"This is his house, so he-e's in charge. Perceptor, this is Ravage, Rumble, Fre-enzy, and Lase-erbeak."

Perceptor nodded. "Good to meet you."

"Do we have to stay in this room?" Frenzy asked.

"When I'm no-ot here, you do," I told him.

"It's bigger than your room at Crescent's house," Ravage noted with some satisfaction and crossed the desk so he could leap over to the berth. "I like it."

"Good," Perceptor said. "I'll let you settle in then. See you in the on-cycle."

"Thank you for le-etting me sta-ay here," I said. He had given me a room near the center of the house, and it was a large enough house that my range wouldn't reach the street outside for a long time, so I was actually going to have peace and quiet.

"You're very welcome," Perceptor said. If I'm bothering you ever, let me know.

I nodded, but his thoughts wouldn't bother me. He had a neat, orderly processor.

"Can we go exploring?" Frenzy asked.

"Next orn," I promised.


"Hey, Soundwave."

I came online slowly, wondering what time it was.

"Soundwave."

"Frenzy," I sat up "What is it?"

"I'm hungry."

I moaned and checked my internal clock. It was far too early for this. "Frenzy…"

"Is it next orn yet? Can we go exploring?"

I pulled a cube of energon out of subspace and held it so he wouldn't spill as he drank from it. Then I left it open on the desk. The others could share it when they came online.

"Can we go exploring? Please?"

"In a breem or so," I promised him. Ravage stretched and yawned and came over to drink from the open cube on the desk. Laserbeak woke as well and took a turn after him. Leaving a little in the bottom for Rumble.

Frenzy looked around. "Are we waiting for everyone to wake up?"

"Frenzy, don't…"

He ran over to Rumble. "Hey! Wake up!"

Rumble started, then sat up.

"Get up, we're going exploring!"

"You!" Rumble tackled him and both of them tumbled off the desk. I ducked down to catch them.

"Soundwave, he hit me," Frenzy said.

"You woke him up." I put Frenzy on one of my shoulders. "You should have known that would happen. Maybe if you say yo-ou're sorry for waking him up, he'll apologize for hi-i-itting you."

Frenzy considered that. "Sorry, Rumble." He said.

"Sorry," Rumble growled back.

"Can we go exploring now?" Frenzy asked.

We waited until Rumble had had his energon and then we went out to wander the rest of the house. Laserbeak flew ahead and Ravage walked at my side as we explored the first floor. They wanted to go up to the second floor and down to the basement, but I told them they couldn't and they knew arguing wasn't going to help.

Perceptor woke up and came down eventually. He showed me where the energon was and told me I could help myself to it.

I thanked him and took my symbiots back to my room.

"Does school start now?" Frenzy asked.

"No, but I want to go somewhere."

"When does school start?"

"Three orns."

"Aw," Frenzy said. Are we going to Searchlights room after… oh, never mind. "Sorry," he said.

"Don't be," I told him. "I'll be back in a few joors. Do not break a-any of Perceptor's furniture in here, ok?"

They nodded and I left them. Perceptor noticed when I left the house. I wanted to make sure I could find all the classes that I'd signed up for. I also ought to go looking for Ratchet. Wheeljack had seemed to think he was often in the Hall of Records.

As I walked across campus I was reminded unpleasantly of the last time I'd been here. I went to the Hall of Records and started wandering, looking for Ratchet. I even went so far as to expand my range to about twice its diameter. It wasn't really a problem because the archives weren't crowded.

I did find Ratchet eventually, talking to someone else who was familiar. I hesitated, then walked over to them.

The other mech noticed me first, and I heard him recognize me. Then Ratchet turned around, wondering what his friend was staring at.

"Soundwave!" Ratchet froze. You're here. Well, way to show up out of nowhere. Where have you been? Wheeljack says you were here a few decaorns ago.

I shrugged slightly.

He's that mech who… yes, I remember him. Alpha Trion's assistant got up and took a few steps toward me. "It's good to meet you… we met previously, but those were not good circumstances and I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Orion Pax."

We shook hands. "Soundwave," I said.

He nodded. I'd already heard about you from Ratchet. "I heard what happened at the end of last quarter. I'm so sorry about your friend. Things like that shouldn't be allowed to happen."

I nodded. "Thank yo-ou." I knew he meant it.

"He said we should stay in touch," Ratchet said, still sitting at the table and facing away from me. You wouldn't answer our messages. You wouldn't talk to us.

"He didn't."

"Yes he did," Ratchet turned around. "He said we couldn't drift apart after secondary…"

"No, he didn't stay in touch," I said quietly. I had been prepared for this argument. "He died."

Ratchet glared at me. How can you sound so calm about this? You're still moping and you sound so fragging calm, and you know what he would have wanted. He'd have wanted us to stay together. He'd have wanted the three of us to stay friends. It's like you and Breeze forgot that.

"Maybe we do-on't want to be reminded."

I probably shouldn't be here. "I can see you two need to talk. Ratchet, I'll be in my office for the rest of the orn if you need me." We got some new records from Praxus this orn that I should decrypt and file. He left.

"Who is he?" I asked. There was something unusual about him.

Ratchet shrugged. "A friend. He's an archivist, and a good mech." Reminds me of Searchlight a little. Don't you dare be mad at me for making friends.

"I'm not," I said, but it wasn't entirely the truth. No one could replace Searchlight, especially not some naïve library clerk.

"So you made the cut?" You're in the Academy now?

I nodded.

"Good," Ratchet said. We never had all that much to talk about, not without Searchlight there. Oh, Primus, classes start again in a few orns. I need to be ready.

Searchlight would have thought that was amusing, that Ratchet was already worrying about the start of next term, and the thought of that kept me from being amused. This was why I hadn't wanted to come see Ratchet before. All the same, it was surprisingly comfortable to have his thoughts in my processor again. It felt like being back in secondary school.

"So," Ratchet said. "How are your symbiots?" How did they like being cooped up in your room all this time?

"Fi-ine," I said.

His stutter's back. I wonder what that means. I guess it first came back just after…

"We're ok," I insisted. "We're living at Perceptor's house by the way… do-o you know who he-e is?"

Ratchet nodded. "Science professor. Wheeljack's always talking about him."

"You're welcome to come and visit Ravage i-if you like."

Ratchet raised an optic ridge. Soundwave, if I come to visit, I'll be visiting you. I don't dislike Ravage, but he's your cat. You're my friend. You are my friend, right?

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Yes, I was Ratchet's friend. I would always be his friend.

"Good," Ratchet said. Thank you. I know we wouldn't be friends if it weren't for Searchlight. I wouldn't have any friends at all if it weren't for him.

I wasn't so sure about that. But I knew I wouldn't have had friends. We sat quietly for a breem and Ratchet started thinking about school again. I pondered about the Hall of Records instead. It had so much information. The whole history of Cybertron was here, in this place.

I got up and walked over to the nearest shelf. Ratchet wondered where I was going, but didn't care enough to ask.

I wanted to explore. Besides, I didn't want to leave the building. I had expanded my range to find Ratchet and I didn't want to leave until it was small enough I would be fine crossing the crowded courtyard and campus again.

The Hall of Records was enormous, and full of knowledge and secrets. It was the most extensive library in the world, but possibly not the largest accessible collection of information. A large portion of material was off limits to anyone who wasn't a curator. I wasn't sure what was in those records or why they were secret or even who had decided they were off-limits. The lower levels of the hall were all inaccessible, though. Since Alpha Trion was in charge of the Hall, I figured either he or the government had made the restrictions.

I remembered suddenly that Perceptor had told me to ask Alpha Trion about telepaths. I didn't think I'd be able to, though. Even if I could find the elusive librarian—and my abilities wouldn't help me there—I didn't like him.

I could probably ask his assistant, though. I wondered how much access he had to the restricted levels of the Hall.

I went to Orion's office and hesitated a moment before requesting entry.

Orion opened the door. "Oh, hello again. Come in." Guess I'll finish that later.

I nodded and entered.

"So…" Orion said.

"I have a que-estion, actually."

"Ok."

"I was wondering if you know of any writings about telepaths."

"Telepaths?" That's an odd subject. "Like mecha who can read minds?"

I nodded.

Why does he want to know about them? I'm not sure if they even exist. I'm sure there are some theories and papers about them. "I can probably find something. What exactly are you looking for?"

I shrugged. "I overheard Perceptor say that there used to be… be-e-efore the quintesson wars."

"Really?" I hadn't heard that. "I didn't know that. I guess I can check and see. They aren't mentioned in most common history books, but I might be able to find some older records about them. I'll have to ask permission to show them to you, though. Some of those aren't available to public reading."

"Why?"

He shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. Some of them have information that isn't safe to let just anyone look at. Old technology, Quintesson research… "Most of it is simply not pertinent." Also, I think the Council decided to take some information and records out… but that's different. That's them hiding their crimes.

Anyone could have told that he was lying. But even if you couldn't, I always knew.

So they were hiding ancient technology and some Council records, and other things as well.

"Maybe I'll ask Alpha Trion about telepaths for you. He probably knows."

"Tha-at's all right." I didn't really want that mech to know I was looking. I couldn't trust him.

"I really can. It won't be a problem." I wonder why he seems so hesitant… Is there some reason he doesn't want Alpha to know that he's looking for this?

"Ok," I said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He smiled slightly, pleased I was letting him help. "I don't know when Alpha Trion will be back, but I can promise I'll have spoken to him about it by next orn. If you want to come by some time next orn, I'm usually here or at least in the Hall. He could come here and wait if I'm not here…but sometimes I'm not in the office for joors… I could leave a note "I'll leave a note on the door to tell you where I'll be if I'm not here."

"Thanks," I said, and left.

Orion was still feeling pleased with himself for being helpful when I walked out of range of his thoughts.

I went home shortly after that. Perceptor's house had only been my place of residence for the past orn, but home was really wherever my symbiots were.

I brought them out into the front room so I could be with them while Perceptor and I talked.