Hi-Test

The night of December 31st. The wind howled, hurling snow into their faces; the temperature dropped to -36°C—even metal creaked in the cold. A tense silence reigned in the dilapidated Decepticon hangar, broken only by Soundwave's sharp commands.

Hi-Test, trembling, tried to keep his balance. The tray of energy cubes trembled in his hands—he wanted to be useful. The floor was slippery, his foot slipped, and the tray crashed to the concrete. The energy cubes rolled, one cracked, and the dim glow quickly faded.

Soundwave turned around, his voice like ice.

• You ruined everything again.

Hi-Test cringed, trying to collect the cubes, his fingers slipping.

“Sorry... I’ll get everything together now...” he whispered, his voice trembling.

“I don’t need excuses,” Soundwave said coldly . “Your incompetence is jeopardizing the operation. Get out. Now.”

"But... where to? There's a snowstorm outside..." Hi-Test whispered.

"That's not my concern," Soundwave snapped. "You're the weak link. And I remove weak links."

One of the Decepticons grinned and kicked the tray into the corner. Hi-Test flinched.

“Get out,” Soundwave repeated.

The doors swung open, letting in a flurry of snow and icy air. Hi-Test paused on the threshold, hoping Soundwave would change his mind. But Soundwave had already turned away, immersed in his screens, as if Hi-Test didn't exist.

The door slammed shut, cutting off the warmth. The wind howled outside, snow clogged the joints of the hull, and the cold froze his movements. Hi-Test staggered, took a few steps, and stopped, staring at the dark silhouette of the hangar. A dim light glowed inside—the crew was there. But here, there was only emptiness and a cold that promised to freeze him to the last spark.

A tear rolled down the front panel and froze. Hi-Test clenched his fists, trying to stop himself from shaking.

“I’m not useless… Give me one more chance…” he whispered, but the words were lost in the roar of the blizzard.