It's been a bit longer, I guess. But that's sort of because I'm prolonging the time before I have to find a solution to my struggle at the end of the next chapter. I've just about got it figured out, though. So I suppose that's why I'm updating now. I'm sure a lot have you have been looking forward to these events, so here you are.
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
"Sam, Mikaela, this is Director Tom Banachek. Director, these are the two kids that have caused so much trouble." Simmons held introductions.
"It's a pleasure." I greeted with an exaggeratedly unimpressed expression.
"From what I understand, you managed to single handedly compromise an entire hanger. I'm impressed, I don't know what we're going to do with you, but I'm impressed." The older man nodded to us both. "So let me get this straight. You hope to prove you're from the future by assuming full access to a very powerful object?"
"I want to touch it, sir." I stated curtly. "Have you had any experience of anyone doing anything just by touching it?"
"No, but I don't trust your kind." He scratched his chin. "A teenager that knows too much. I don't know how you heard of those things, but I have my sneaking suspicions. Now you better prove to me something else is going on, otherwise you three are headed straight for the Pentagon. We've got protocols set into motion there, and they're already prepared to have you."
"With all due respect, sir, this is all on Sam." Mikaela stepped up. "I believe everything he says, but Simmons and I are both as new to this as you are."
"Mh-hm. Likely story. I'm going to give you ten minutes on that lift, so you better climb quickly." He turned his attention back to me.
"Don't worry, sir. I can climb pretty well."
"You don't say?" Simmons scoffed sarcastically. Tom gave him an irritated look and he shut up quickly.
"And once we're done here, I have some real business to attend to. Sam, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. And I'm going to be taking their word over yours, understand?" He turned to walk out the door again.
Mikaela, Simmons and I followed out, coming face to face with the soldiers I'd seen in the Allspark's room. They were an even more welcome, familiar sight. I unintentionally let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Will, standing front and center at the lead of the group.
"Hey, Will." I greeted him. This thoroughly creeped him out and he jerked his chin over to Tom.
"You already tell the kid our names?"
"No. Apparently he knows a lot more than he's supposed to." The Director eyed me cautiously.
"This time, we are already acquainted." I insisted. "Though, somewhat indirectly. I've been emailing his wife for a few weeks, and she's passed on a few messages."
"Witwicky?" Realization dawned on Lennox's face. "What are the odds? Wait, what do you know? Those emails started right around the time-" He cut himself off, when Epps jabbed him in the ribs.
"It's not a coincident. I'm sure you've heard I'm from the future already. Well I am." I gave a grin and spread my arms. "And in my version of these events, your base was attacked by aliens and we met here after you all escaped and was drafted to the Dam."
"This kid has sources on the inside and don't trust a single thing he says. He's got a sharp tongue too." Simmons insisted. "I think he's been talking to Maria. That secretary we fired a week ago."
The entire group gave a collective eye roll and we ignored him.
"What happened around the time I started emailing Sarah? You were going to say." I brought the conversation back around.
"We don't know who you are, but you clearly don't have clearance for us to answer that question." Epps jabbed a finger at me.
"I don't have clearance to even be here." I laughed. "Yet here I am. So what happened?"
"I think we should take this into the other room." Tom interveined. "This conversation is getting a bit too cozy for my liking. They're certainly not going to talk to you."
"Wait a moment." Our group started moving back down to the stairs, and back to the Allspark's room. "They haven't told you yet either, have they? Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you guys were the ones that requested to come here. They didn't bring you in." I addressed the soldiers again.
"Whatever you think you know, kid, you're wrong." Will stated. "And I'm not about to discuss it with you. We're under strict orders, and I don't go back on my word."
Strict orders from who? Hmm. Very interesting.
"So what is it you hope to accomplish here?" Tom asked as the Allspark came back into our view.
"He's going to shrink it, whatever that means." Simmons explained.
"You got that timer ready?" I asked, walking to the base of the lift. "Ten minutes."
Tom gave me an unimpressed look, and Simmons motioned for me to get up there before he beats me. The tingling feeling on my skin was mingling with the excitement of actually trying something only a few people ever have done. Not many people even get to touch the Allspark in their lifetimes, let alone hold it. But I get to twice, defying the fact that it had been destroyed the last time I held it.
At the top of the stairs, far enough above them all that no one could hear me, I let out a terrified breath. This is it. I don't even know if I can do it, even though I made it seem like there wasn't a doubt in my mind. This is happening, and there's really no going back.
I reached out to touch the corner, remembering how Bumblebee had described it. There isn't any definite pattern to this, and it isn't even like manipulating it to do something. It's more like... more like when he prods me in the side, hoping I'll wake up in the morning. Hoping I won't roll over and give him the death glare. Hoping I'll willingly accept the morning greeting and rise from my slumber.
"Come on, there." I enticed the subconscious entity. It's by all means alive, but it is never conscious. It can't be, for that isn't in its nature. It exists to be used, by those who are worthy to use it. "I don't want to walk down these stairs empty handed. The next person to try this probably isn't going to have your best intentions in mind. So please, just work." I tried to do as Bumblebee had described. It's more of an instinct than intentional actions.
"Shrink. I won't let you out of my arms, you won't be destroyed this time. I swear." I whispered. "I need you to save Bee. So please just cooperate. I know I'm human, but that's just because you were too wrapped up here to make me Cybertronian." I talked continuously, hoping this wasn't all for nothing. Sure, it could be the Autobots that arrive here next, to shrink this thing and get it to safety, but I really don't like the odds to the contrary. I'm here now, and if there's even the smallest sliver of a chance that I can take it, I will.
They were talking down below, and it sounded like my time was almost up. I closed my eyes and sighed. "Come on, I want to take you home." I gripped it, practically hugging the corner in front of me.
All of the sudden, there was a sort of burst of energy, in a single pulse that lit the entire Cube up outward from this corner. Then, as my fingers tightened over whatever small grip I'd found, it began to retract into itself. It shrank, easily manipulating space to accommodate for a smaller, more transportable size. I didn't even have to look down to see their expressions of awe and amazement. I felt it myself, and even as its receding edges came closer to my finger tips, I couldn't move. I should move, because where I'm gripping probably isn't even going to exist pretty soon.
It came to a stop, just inside the boundaries of my now white knuckles. I held it upwards, hugging it to my chest as if hugging Bee.
I did it.
I took the Allspark.
At the bottom of the stairs, I was met with new respect that no one seemed to have been ready to give me.
"You, you just..." Simmons was gaping. Mikaela actually looked pretty smug, being the only one that believed me.
"That was mighty impressive, son." Tom shook his head. "Now hand it over." But he seemed more concerned with keeping the artefact than wondering how I did it.
I clutched it tighter, shaking my head. I promised it I wouldn't let go. "If I'm giving this Allspark to someone, it certainly isn't going to be you."
The soldiers shared a look I didn't miss.
"What did you call that thing?" Will took a step closer, suddenly interested in me now.
"The Allspark." I answered confidently.
He looked behind him to Epps, who shrugged and nodded. When he turned back to me, he had a more familiar face on. One that told me he was on my side, and he was ready to defend this fact.
"Then I think our allegiances have shifted." One of the other soldiers spoke up. I didn't recognize him at all. He wore circular wire glasses and was shorter than Will. I thought all the soldiers stayed in NEST? Oh well.
"Just like that? He does a magic trick and suddenly you're ready to start talking to a random kid?" Tom was suddenly very upset. "Whatever you've got to say, I'm all ears."
"See, we were told to find someone we could trust. Someone who can help us, and then we talk. The only other time I've heard someone call that thing an Allspark is when our informants told us what was going on." Will explained. "And we came here for it, so suddenly, we don't have any reason to be here."
I looked over at Mikaela, even though she had no idea what I was thinking. I've come to think of her as the only other person that knows what's going on, but actually, she's still a native to this continuity. So when she met my eyes, all she had was a blank stare that said she wasn't following at all, and still wide-eyes directed to the object in my arms.
I turned back to Will and took a step closer. "Does the name Optimus Prime sound familiar?" I asked.
He looked as if all his suspicions had just been confirmed, and he nodded.
"Wow. Um, I honestly hadn't expected this to be so easy." I laughed. "That is one of your 'informants' right? I mean, you don't know the name because it was mentioned, right?"
"Alright! The informants are aliens! We all get the idea." Tom plowed directly into our conversation again. "That's about as far as I got, so if you would like to elaborate a little more, I'd love to hear it."
I pointed at him- not taking either arm off the Allspark -and gave him the death glare. "No." I pointed to Will. "I'm going with him. But we aren't leaving yet."
"No, you aren't." Simmons agreed. "Nobody gave you clearance to take government property out of this room. Give that back, son."
"No." I repeated, stressing the syllable out to make my point.
"We're not leaving without Bumblebee." Mikaela inserted herself back into the conversation. She knew how much this meant to me, and she knew I wasn't just going to leave that be.
"So what, you want to take all of our stuff and ditch? That's not happening. You clearly don't understand the fact that you're not allowed to leave the building. We are holding you in custody."
"You're not holding me here." Epps scoffed. "Can I have that thing, kid? I promise I'll get it to our mutual friends."
I gave him a friendly smile. "Normally I would, and I totally trust you, Epps, but I can't let it go right now. It's as important that it gets to them as I do."
"I understand." He nodded, clearly put off slightly by my knowing his name too.
"Are we all friendly here, now? Because no one is leaving." Tom was getting red in the face. "Not you, not you, not that cube, and not the alien in the other room!"
If the atmosphere of a room were in any way related to fate, the same way space and time were connected, I wouldn't be at all surprised. Everyone here was on the defense and offence at the same time, everyone was getting angry and ready to blow. As if this moment in time were so tied to the location in which we were having this rapidly escalating conversation, the Director's very vocal display of weaning patience signaled the exact, perfect moment in time for the alarms to start blaring.
Everyone fell silent, and I hedged back towards Mikaela. "Decepticons. If we get separated, stay with the soldiers or Bumblebee. If I get separated from the Allspark, you take it and only give it to an Autobot."
She nodded, and our exchange seemed to go completely unnoticed as a look of recognition and dread came over everyone here.
Someone burst into the doors. "Sir! Airborne aliens have been spotted in the vicinity. They're armed, and the dam is now under attack."
"Whelp! Looks like this is my cue to get out of here." I started to back out of the throng of angry humans. Mikaela was quick on tow.
"Where do you think you're going? No, you're going to stay in here until further notice." Tom chased after me.
"While the entire Dam gets blown apart? Megatron will stop at nothing to get this Allspark. And he isn't as nice as that one you've got frozen in the other room. That's where I'm going." I explained.
"No, you're not. The situation is falling apart as we speak, you are not about to introduce another wild card." Simmons was upset, to say at the least. He grabbed ahold of my arm, glaring. All around us, people that had come in after the alarms started, or who had been in here as not-so-innocent bystanders were rushing to get weapons and vests on. Apparently, they also kept killing machines with the Allspark.
"The Decepticons are on us, and Bumblebee's out best chance on getting out of here alive." I stated.
"No. We don't know what's going to happen if we let that thing go. Maybe you do, you seem to know a lot more than you should, but we don't." Simmons stated, starting to drag me away from the door.
"You've got to defrost Bumblebee." I insisted, trying to shake free.
Suddenly, Simmons froze and motion stopped again. I leaned my head around to see Will standing behind him with his gun out, pointed at Simmons back. A sense of deja vu hit me, and I knew how this was going to end.
"Take the kid to the alien." Will demanded.
"You're kidding me, right? There's a war going on and you're going to shoot me?" Simmons scoffed. "Put the gun down, soldier."
"I didn't come here by your orders, so I'm not answering to you. Take the kid to the alien."
Like in an old memory, I seen guns pointed everywhere. Sector Seven personnel threatening soldier threatening S-7 personnel.
"Put the gun down, soldier. Or I'm going to count to fi-"
"Well I'm going to count to three." Will cut him off, making Simmons fall silent. If it weren't for the sirens going off, it would be deathly silent in here.
"Simmons, do what he says." Tom finally came to his senses. Not that he seemed to agree with anything we were doing. Maybe he just didn't want bloodshed?
"You're going to put the fate of the world in a popsicle?" Simmons demanded, letting me go with as much spite as possible. "Fine. We're shutting down the coolant. Let's wake the dead."
I lead the way out of that room, Mikaela and the soldiers hot on my tail. I didn't really care to note if the other two were still with us. I was in a hurry to get back to the freezing hanger as quickly as possible.
They understood what was happening by the time we got there. So when I ran up the stairs to the lifts around Bee, no one stood in my way. No one even questioned me when I jumped over to the railing and attached myself to the edge beside Bumblebee. Even though the cooling systems were offline, he would take a while to warm up enough for his systems to jumpstart themselves. Fortunately, I have the Allspark, which seemed to be accelerating the process.
I can't climb over his armor very well while I'm holding the Allspark, but who knows how long it's going to take for him to wake up on his own. I looked around before deciding I was just going to have to do this awkwardly.
"Sam." Mikaela objected as I climbed to the top of the railing. "Just hand it to me. I won't let anyone take it." She motioned to the Allspark. And as much as I believe she's telling the truth, I also think someone will more easily pull one over on her to take it than they would me.
"I'm alright." I insisted, taking my time getting a good grip on his armor. It's already getting warmer, but it still feels lifeless. Holding onto the Cube with one arm, I swung carefully around until I was square over my guardian's spark. Getting closer, dropping down a bit, I pressed my ear to the flatter metal there, trying to hear his spark thrums. And maybe bringing the Allspark closer to his spark will help accelerate his recovery?
"We're just standing around while the kid makes a fool of himself and the enemy is coming down on us?" Simmons objected down below. "We need to get into action. You want to put that gun into use, soldier? Let's go take out some alien planes."
"I've got strict orders to protect that thing he's got with my life. I'm going to stay here." Will answered.
"Come on, come on, Bee." I banged a fist on his armor and started to climb higher up to his head. He's definitely still alive, but he's pretty deep in stasis. I switched the Allspark to my other arm as I got up to his shoulder. Crouching there, I knocked against his head. "Wake up, buddy! You'll never believe what I've got here!"
I heard his systems slowly powering up, and with an involuntary jerk, he started to support himself, taking his weight off the systems put in place to hold him upright. But with my compromised balance from holding the Allspark, I was sent sideways down the way I'd come up. I didn't even reach out to save myself, for my first instinct was to constrict both arms around the Cube to insure it didn't fall away.
I only got halfway to the ground before a familiar, still somewhat chilled, metal hand caught me. The room had quieted down as they all realized the alien robot in the room was now conscious.
"Sam?" His voice was scratchy and hoarse, but it was his. I beamed up at him, loosening my grip on the thing in my arms. "The Allspark?" He sighed in relief, and I nodded.
"Yeah. We've got a lot to catch up on, buddy."
Yea! Bumblebee! I don't have much to say, but that it might take a little bit for the next chapter. Not only am I still ironing out the details, but I'm going back to college in a couple days. But I'll still be working on this in my spare time, for it still holds my interest.
Until next time!