CHAPTER TWO | SHATTERED GLASS

Megatronus Prime listened to the Autobot medic as he reaccounted similar incidents to their own, though there were plenty of differences to distinguish the two events. It made sense, he supposed, as their teams ran independently from one another, and the actions and consequences would vary slightly.

One thing was consistent, however: The Decepticons and Autobots were still at war with one another, though who wanted to protect Earth and who wanted to conquer it were two very different forces of nature.

" - and I was expecting my team to emerge from the Groundbridge portal," the medic finished with a bitter tone. "So I am sure you can imagine my unwelcome surprise when you entered instead."

"The feeling is mutual," Airachnid muttered, crossing her arms.

Megatronus frowned, looking at the ground in thought for a long, long time. "The similar events, yet reversed roles could be indicative of . . . Opposing planes of existence."

Rafael tilted his head. "You mean, like parallel dimensions?"

Ratchet scoffed. "Don't be preposterous! We have yet to prove such things exist! And besides, how would you explain the switch? It's not like there was an explosion, a catalyst, some sort of high-energy phenomena that could rip a hole in our time-space continuum."

Soundwave stepped forward, displaying a diagram of the Groundbridge on his visor.

"That is the only explanation," Megatronus agreed, his optics focusing on the Autobot medic. "Somehow our Groundbridges managed to do exactly what you described - and we, as well as your team, were caught in the crosshairs and unknowingly switched."

"We humans call it string theory," Rafael bustled over to the computers, eagerly typing. "It's a type of quantum mechanics theory that tries to explain parallel universes and multiverses. Quantum physics is the idea that for every action, decision we make, there is always an opposite action or decision we could have made, but didn't. Quantum particles - quarks - split and make both possibilities happen, just in different, parallel universes. For example, if I had a blue and red object in front of me, and I chose the red, there is an alternate dimension where I chose the blue."

Miko rubbed her forehead. "All this nerd stuff is giving me a headache," she muttered.

Megatronus Prime nodded. "Yes, that is how our quantum engines function," he rumbled. "They exist solely because they should not, and they use that energy to function."

Rafael nodded. "String theory kind of takes this idea and puts it into more visual context." The young boy broadcasted a picture on the screen, showing multiple bubbles moving and squishing against one another. "According to this theory, the building blocks of all matter are sub-quantum, and essentially look like rubber bands that hold everything together. As a consequence, our dimension - or universe - is a bubble, as are all other parallel planes of existence. And these bubbles can interact with each other."

"So you're saying our parallel universes just . . . Bumped into each other by accident?" Airachnid asked skeptically.

"According to string theory, they do it all the time," Jack supplied helpfully. "Some even think it may be what causes the Mandela Effect: people remembering events that didn't actually happen."

Soundwave generated a picture of two circles hitting one another, and in the center, where they interacted, he placed the hypothetical coordinates of a Groundbridge.

Ratchet looked at the mech in disbelief. "And you think I somehow managed to place a Groundbridge in the exact location where the two universes met, without even realizing it?"

"Knock Out would have had to do the same," Megatronus pointed out. "Making this a one in . . . Quadrillion chance of happening."

"More like an impossible chance," Ratchet argued. "It would be one thing if I had done it intentionally, with him, but for the both of us to do it at the same time without realizing one or the other was involved?! The chances are too obscure for it to be even remotely statistically possible!"

"And there's even a parallel universe where it didn't happen," Jack pointed out. "According to quantum mechanics. Which means we are especially unlucky."

Miko shrugged. "Well, on the bright side, if we were able to do it once, we can do it again! Right?"

"If it took over the course of millions of years Groundbridging back and forth between locations for to take place," Ratchet began, dread already settling in the room. "This may have been the one time it happened; and we will probably never get a chance like this again."

Miko's shoulders slumped, the kids looking at one another in despair. The Autobots . . . Could be gone forever?

"We will do our utmost best to ensure we and your team return to our respective dimensions." Megatronus promised. The Decepticon team had begun to relax, now that the threat was over and they realized that they were not under attack. It was an unspoken caution on their leader's part that they may need to get used to living here for a little while, at least until they could come up with a way to get back home.

Home. It had never seemed so far away.

<<>>

"What is going on?"

The meeting between the outnumbered Knock Out and the supposed friendly Autobots was interrupted by June Darby, the woman walking in with a confidence that was unnatural to her character. She wore a sharp suit and tie outfit typical of a government agent, her gun strapped to her hip and badge dangling from her neck. Her black hair was pinned back in a bun, fully exposing her sharp features.

Steel blue eyes regarded the Autobots with a cold, calculating look. Whatever they had done to her, June was not forgiving them anytime soon.

"Agent Darby," Knock Out had since relaxed once everyone had figured out what was going on. "Meet the Autobots - the good Autobots."

"I don't remember Orion Pax having a conscience," she quipped. "Or the rest of his energon-thirsty crew. What do you mean, they're the 'good' Autobots?"

"We hail from a dimension that is parallel to yours," Optimus Prime explained, noticing how she tensed and her hand rested on her weapon. He remained calm, assuming that her firearm was equipped with the same armor-piercing technology that Jack's possessed. "Where the Autobots fight for Earth, protecting it from the Decepticons which seek to destroy it."

"Parallel dimension?" The unconvinced woman cocked an eyebrow.

"We think they may have just proved quantum mechanics and string theory," Rafael explained, the computer genius holding a souped-up laptop. "By taking a one-in-a-quadrillion shot . . . In the dark."

"And don't expect me to do it again," Knock Out muttered.

Jack shouldered his rifle as he joined his mother's side, addressing her with respect and tone that made Arcee's frame prickle. "This is actually Optimus Prime; he received the Matrix of Leadership instead of Megatronus, and lead his Autobots in an attempt to prevent Megatron's war from decimating the planet. Which failed spectacularly."

Knock Out huffed. "Watch it, fleshling. That was our war too!"

The Autobots could not help but stare. Clearly, the dynamics between the team's and their human counterparts were vastly different. They were . . . Unnaturally detached, at least Jack and his mother seemed to be. Arcee frowned. This was going to be difficult to adjust to.

Though she did not plan on adjusting much.

Jack just shrugged, brushing the insult aside. "And from what we can infer, the events in their universe were similar to ours."

"It's not perfectly parallel, but close enough to count," Rafael posited. "The odds of us actually interacting with a perfectly parallel, opposing universe in this manner is even slimmer than what just happened here."

Agent Darby regarded the Autobots with a critical gaze. "So, what happened to Team Prime?"

"We can only assume they have taken our place," Optimus answered. "And are conversing with Ratchet."

"At least, they better be," Arcee hissed. "If he so much has a dent in his armor when we get back - "

"What are you going to do, take another one in a million shot to kick our tailpipes?" Knock Out asked sarcastically, rolling his optics. "And that is assuming I can even manage to do the same exact phenoma again - which could take another millenia."

"Certainly if it can be done once, it can happen again," Agent Darby pinched the bridge of her nose. "But General Bishop is going to have my head if he gets wind of this; which is why we need to keep a low profile for now."

"You're going to deceive your superior?" Optimus could not help but raise the slightest optic ridge. Agent Fowler rarely spoke of hiding the truth from General Bryce, and June Darby did not seem like the type that would do such a thing; but perhaps he was wrong.

"Let's just say there are a lot of things that General Bishop does not know, or understand," cold blue eyes bored into him. "If he gets wind that the Autobots - which I made very clear are the enemy  - are now suddenly on our side, there is going to be mass confusion, perhaps even hysterics. We've already had to clean up enough messes with your people, this is one I do not intend to add to that list!"

The Autobots looked at one another, severely confused. Something about this whole situation was . . . off. Firstly, who was Bishop? Secondly, why was June convinced that she needed to keep secrets from him? And finally - what had they done to her to receive so much hatred?

"We will do our best to keep things under control," Optimus assured, sensing that things were beginning to calm down. Knock Out's plating was losing its bristle, though his EM field remained tight around his person. Light blue optics trailed from human to human as well. And now the question remained: what was next?