Chapter 55: Long Awaited Meeting
Part 1: Finding Bright Eyes
TIME: 15:12 ERST
DATE: War Day 513/2 Noneus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Bright Eye Corporation Secret Lab, Coltonville, Republic of Harmonia
By now, everyone had moved down at least one level below their original search areas. My teams were branching out, searching what they could. By radio report, some sections had simply collapsed, possibly through geologic forces.
In short, sometime hundreds of years ago, there'd been an earthquake of moderate strength in the region, and it damaged the facility.
I was just grateful the facility wasn't totally collapsed into dust. The magic field keeping the Avegir asleep, though it had contracted over the last eight millenia, had partially protected this place.
Applejack: "Y'know, I been thinkin' 'bout them stories'a how everyone got along back then." She shrugged as we carefully tactically stepped down the stairs.
K: "Really, there was no hint of racial tensions. Everyone just.. treated each other normally. Like you do now." I shrugged, keeping my rifle pointed down the gantryway.
We were descending to the next level down from the power room, in another large stair well with metal stairs. These stairs were in good shape, having been made of extremely expensive, high purity steel that showed little sign of corrosion.
Lyra: "Ah'm hopin' 'tis all true, really. Bright Eyes could really help us." She said, an air of practicality.
Bon-Bon: "I'm sure everything will be alright." She smiled down at me.
Now that we were getting closer, I found it hard to look at her. I knew. I knew what we'd find.
Twilight: "HERE! HERE!" She announced, stepping back into the stairwell from the side hallway branching off one level below us. "It says Pod Bay!"
K: "Let's go. Keep it tight."
I moved down to where Twilight and Spike were, and breached the door with them. Inside? Technology, lots of technology. HIGH technology.
LOCATION: Stasis Pod Chamber
K: "Al-RIGHTY.. so their technology -was- even more advanced than my own!" I chuckled.
I stepped in, examining everything as I did, rifle ready but slightly lowered. It was amazing. Along the far wall were five stasis pods. Large, with tubes coming out of them, cords, electrical fixtures, an octopus of connections of all kinds. Only some of them, did I understand what they might be for.
It was actually good to be out of my depth, though I wondered how far? Looking at the five pods, three were clearly working Stasis Pods, and two seemed to have failed. It came to mind that Bright Eyes might only have managed to make these possible - for all I knew, the Pods' software were running off of x86 architecture, and only the medical technology required to preserve life had been maintained.
K: "Let's see if there's an on switch. Be careful, and don't touch anything unless I get a look at it, first."
Bon-Bon: "K? Creeper. Left side." She had her Bradley up, but held her fire.
K: "AJ.. flank." I nodded.
AJ: "Raight.." And she moved to the side with her Chaffee.. waiting..
K: "Bon-Bon, take the shot."
Bon-Bon: "Mm." *PANG-PANG!*
As expected, it fell over, and scrambled to the left, right where Applejack was.
*BATCHOOM!* And that killed it.
AJ: "Alright!" She came out.
Twilight: "This technology is AMAZING.." She pondered over it. "K! I think I found something."
K: "What's up?" I said, wandering over.
It looked like a computer terminal.. AH! To touch technology again. A simple line-in-circle for power. I pressed it. Obediently - and with a delay that matched its age - it flickered on.
Welcome to Barndoor.
Windows Architecture! Holy shit. Mouse.. mouse.. ah! A trackball permanently part of the console, with two buttons and a scroll wheel. The set-up was odd, but I got used to it. The keyboard here was.. oversized, to say the least. Instead of one-inch (25.4mm) square keys, they were almost two inch (50.8mm). So, I spread my hands WIDE out and started going through the numbers.
Processor Type: Genuine Genius T4049
Processor Speed: Quantum Core 8x10Thz (an octuple core with eight, ten terahertz procesors? FUUUCK!)
RAM Type: Koltel KH303 QRAM
RAM Amount: 128 PB (128 PETABYTES! 1 Petabyte = 1024 Terabytes)
Hard Drives: 1 Aquanet HK201SZ (C:) - 1 Aquanet FF377I (G:) - 1 Brisco B4UC3-C4M (H:)
Hard Drive Space: C - 1EB (one Exabyte - or, 1024 Petabytes, which is 1024 to the power of 2 Terabytes) || G: 24EB || H: 128EB
This computer would put everything the United States government had, to shame. This was probably the absolute conceptual limit of computing technology that I'd ever seen in 2012. Theoretically possible, but probably not ever constructed - that now made sense why the console was so gigantic. It was probably the smallest they could make it.
Then again, I could hear only three fans running, and I was getting a pop-up on the tool bar for core temperature. I better do this quickly - some of the fans were likely to be out.
I searched the Program Start Menu and finally found something called POD_CONTROL.exe - at least they used the exact same file strucutre that Windows did. Which was a very odd coincidence. I clicked the program icon, and it popped up an interface showing the five pods.
BRIGHT_EYES: Overall Status: Normal
STARLIGHT: Overall Status: Normal
THEODORE: Overall Status: 12 Issues Require Attention
BON_BON: Overall Status: POD COMPROMISED - SUBJECT DECEASED
ACE: Overall Status: POD COMPROMISED - SUBJECT DECEASED
I clicked on Theodore's pod.
12 Issues Require Attention:
>Pod Secondary Sensors: OFFLINE
>Pod Secondary Sensor Error
>Pod Secondary Sensor Feed Error
(Status: Non-Critical)
>Pod Fluid Control: 25% Obstructed
>Pod Fluid Feed Line #1: OFFLINE
>Pod Fluid Recycle Chamber #1: OFFLINE
(Status: Critical)
>Pod Electrical Backup: OFFLINE
>Pod Secondary Electrical System: NOT FOUND
>Pod Primary On-Board Interface: OFFLINE
(Status: Important)
>Pod Oxygen Saturation Level: 77%
>Pod Oxygen Recycle System: OFFLINE
>Pod Oxygen Mixer: OFFLINE
(Status: Critical)
Interesting. I went to the Menu listed for "ACTIVATION SEQUENCE."
Activation Sequence Menu:
>Activate All Pods (Quick Thaw)
>Activate All Pods (Standard Thaw)
>Activate.. (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5) (Quick Thaw)
>Activate.. (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5) (Standard Thaw)
WARNING: TIME LIMIT HAS EXCEEDED 500 YEARS - QUICK THAW NOT RECOMMENDED!
K: "Hm."
I didn't realize Bon-Bon was looking over my shoulder.
Bon-Bon: "K.. why.. why does it have my name on there!?" She sounded distressed.
And here it was. The thing I was afraid she'd see.
K: "Don't worry about it.. Bon-Bon." I patted her mane. "Just.. relax, okay?" I gave her a half smile, then clicked on the manual selections for Pods number 1, 2, and 3.
ERROR: POD #3 OXYGEN SATURATION SYSTEM IS DAMAGED. PLEASE REPAIR AND CONDUCT DIAGNOSTIC BEFORE ATTEMPTING THAW. PROCESS TERMINATED FOR SUBJECT SAFETY.
K: "Okayy.. hopefully, we can get Bright Eyes defrosted and she can tell us what's going on." I shrugged. "I'm not an electrical engineer." I let the other two sequences go. "Get on the horn, and let everyone else know where we are - relay it if you have to." The metal down here played hell with reception.
Bon-Bon: "R-Right.." She cleared her throat. C> "Alpha to all Call Signs. Location is up hallway A-24. Repeat, Hallway A-24. Chalk marks are on the walls. Use caution - contact with enemy was made. Relay message to all teams in range. Alpha out."
We'd found her. Now, I just needed to rescue her from her own contraption. So many answers, just at the tips of my fingers.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Rescuing Bright Eyes
TIME: 16:15 ERST
DATE: War Day 513/2 Noneus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Stasis Pod Chamber, Secret Lab
It took an hour and change for the process to go through. About thirty minutes into the process, the outer casings of the pods detached, and we were permitted a look inside. Three living ponies, suspended in some kind of fluid. Green fluid.
Well, to be fair, the fluid was a rotted browny pus for the two pods that had failed. Still, five ponies 'frozen' for over eight thousand years? It was a miracle any of this even still worked. Then again, the place had been a perfect vacuum until we opened it, and some of the circuitry had looked like it was advanced carbon-graphite material of some kind.
Now that the sequence for Starlight and Bright Eyes were complete, the pods started draining. I could see that there were tubes running into their arms. Probably some kind of recycled nutrient fluid.
Dr. Allcome arrived a bit ago, and had already set up to help them once they got out. Bright-Eyes' pod opened first. Part of the side simply fell away, leaving her suspended from the tubes.
Dr. Allcome: "Sweetheart, grab her." He instructed, getting his drug bag ready.
Nurse Sweetheart: "Got her."
She lifted her gingerly from the suspended tubes and detached them. Nurse Redheart then brought Bright Eyes over to the laid-out blanket, and Dr. Allcome started administering drugs, and an IV bag. She woke up almost right away, though.
Bright Eyes: "Ahh.. what.. year.."
K: "Relax, Miss Bright Eyes. My name is K----. You've been out for over eight thousand years."
Bright Eyes: "Im.. impossible.. the pods.. not designed for that.."
K: "Well, they did it. And now Teddy needs your help - I need to repair the oxygen system before I can defrost him."
Dr. Allcome: "Here, have some water. Wash your mouth out - rinse and spit."
Twilight: "Amazing.."
Toola: "Trippy!"
Dash: "Just.. whoa."
She took some water, rinsed and spat, trying to sit up.
Dr. Allcome: "Relax, young lady. I'm a physician. You're hooked up to an IV feeding you some nutrients, and I'm trying to bandage the holes in your arms. I have your eyes covered - I'm concerned there might be some retinal bruising, but I'm going to check that in a minute."
Bright Eyes: "The Oxygen Systems.."
Starlight's pod opened, and Nurse Sweetheart and Fluttershy helped her out, carried her over to the other blanket, and set her down, working on reviving her. She moaned a little - consciousness was a GOOD sign.
K: "Yes."
Bright Eyes: "Maintenance Room - upper level, section D."
K: "Destroyed. Now.." *Ahem* "..I can cannibalize two pods.."
Bright Eyes: "Once the pods.. once they're open, the parts become unusable.." *Groan* "..system floods the oxygen tubes to flush them out.. prevent cross-contamination.."
I looked at Dr. Allcome and he nodded to me.
K: "Bon-Bon and Ace didn't make it." I said, all at once.
Bright Eyes: "W-What?" She looked towards me desperately. "Ohhh.." And looked ready to cry.
K: "Walk me through cannibalizing their pods. We have to save Teddy."
Starlight: "Uhhh."
Nurse Sweetheart: "Doctor.." She nodded Allcome over, and he moved to tend to her. Apparently, she didn't need eye bandages.
K: "Think, Bright Eyes! Please!" I implored her.
Bright Eyes: "Oxygen Systems.."
After another twenty minutes, she managed to walk me through the entire process of dismantling the oxygen systems on both pods, picking out the right parts - and ones that were still good - and assembling them in Teddy's pod. I then went to get the Activation System online.. but the computer overheated and shut down.
K: "Well, crap. Now we have to fix the manual interface!" I snorted.
Bright Eyes: "MMm.. it's easy.."
She walked me through that, too. The process for this was a lot more simple, since the hardware components were largely Plug-and-Play Architecture.
Meanwhile, Starlight managed to fully regain consciousness. The first person she saw, though..
Starlight: "Bon-Bon!? Why do you look so different..?"
Bon-Bon: "I.. you're Starlight, right?" She asked, linking the name on the computer, to the pony laying before her. "I'm.." She looked at Lyra.
Lyra: "This's.." She shook her head. "..we're from th' future, lass.." She started.
Bon-Bon: "I'm.. I'm not the Bon-Bon you knew.." She sighed.
Norfy: "Miss Starlight, I'm Major Norfy Loconsole, Equestrian Royal Army. I'm.. something of an expert on past lives, and I believe you knew the previous incarnation of Sergeant Bon-Bon, here.."
Starlight: "Past lives!? What is this? Some kind of a prank!?"
Rainbow Dash: "It's no prank.." *Sigh* "I'm Rainbow Dash. Welcome to.. like.. eight thousand years in your future." She shrugged. "We're from a military expedition sent to find you."
Starlight: "A military..?! The government's never needed a military!"
K: "It's because of Tirek, Starlight.." I said, with Twilight helping me plug in the new console.
Starlight: "Tirek..? You mean that crazy theory you had, Bright Eyes?" She lolled over to look at her.
Bright Eyes: "It wasn't so crazy.." *Moan* "We're too late! What happened!?"
K: "An apocalypse, right around the time you girls went into the pods."
Starlight: "HOLY HOOF-CAKES! WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU?!" She scooted away from the blanket she was on, having literally JUST noticed me.
Dr. Allcome: "Settle down, or I'll sedate you - your body has been in that strange fluid for eight thousand years! For all I know, your skin could be as fragile as wet paper!" He got behind her and slid her back on the blanket.
Starlight: "What is he!? What IS that!? How does it not have hooves and how can it walk on two legs like that!?"
K: "My name is General K, Commander-in-Chief, Royal Equestrian Armed Forces. I'm a human. We're a race descended from the Ape and Monkey family. Over the course of millions of years, we developed sentience, and the ability to walk upright. We also have these.." I held up my left hand, and showed off my fingers.
Lyra: *A bit dreamily* "Them's fingers, lass.." *Giggle* "He has toes, too." She gave a bit of a goofy grin.
Starlight: "DISGUSTING!" She spat out. "How can you be.. SERVE.. that.. THING!?" She gazed at me.
K: "Someone's racist.." I muttered as I made the connections. "..I'm ready, Bright Eyes."
Bright Eyes: "Okay, it's just like the program on the main computer, but that's all there is on there." She said. "You managed to figure that out."
K: "I did. Wasn't hard. Barndoor is just like the Windows Operating System I used back home." I shrugged and got to work, running the diagnostic system.
Bright Eyes: "I don't care what he is, Starlight! He saved us! And he's saving Teddy right now."
Applejack - I couldn't see her, but she told me later she was being held back by Toola Roola and Fluttershy while Starlight started her rant.
Starlight: "Well, I do! He's gross! Just look at that stuff.. what, don't you THINGS have a proper coat and mane!?" She snorted. "And where's your tail!? Disgusting creature.. you ought'a go back where you came from! Ponies don't need someTHING like you, running around, touching them - breating the same air as them! Saved by you!? I'd rather be saved by a Mare-Mater!"
And Homophobic.
Applejack: "THAT'THAR'S THA LAST DANG STRAW!" She threw Fluttershy and Toola off of her and stomped - STOMPED over to where Starlight was laying. "YEW LIL' *BITCH*! HOW *DARE* YOU TALK 'BOUT MAH HUSBAND LAHK THAT!? I OUGHT'A POUND YER SNOUT IN'A THA BACK'A YER HEAD! Y'ALL AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A RACIST *BITCH*! I THOUGHT Y'ALL'S TIME WERE IN'LIGHT'ND AN' SMART AN' FULL'A HARMONY AN' FRIENDSHIP! Y'ALL AIN'T SMART, Y'A AIN'T IN'LIGHT'ND, AN' Y'ALL AIN'T GOT NO HARMONY! ALL Y'ALL GOT IS A HEAD FULL'A HATE! AN' Y'ALL BETTER LOCK THAT UP IN'A BARN, C'UZ 'ROUND HERE, WE GOT LOTS MORE HARMONY THAN YOU EVER COULD! YOU AIN'T GOIN' BACK TO Y'ALL'S RACIST TIMES, SO Y'ALL BETTER GIT USED TO IT, 'FORE I LEARN YOU SOME LOVE 'N HARMONY TH' HARD WAY!"
Such wise - if insulting - words from the girl accused of being a country bumpkin. Mind, she was being restrained by Havoc, Forest Spirit, Blinda, Rarity, Dr. Allcome, Nurse Sweetheart, Norfy, Cosmic, Gorcat, Gilda, and Gaze. And she was still sliding across the floor.
Bella Donna, for her husband, was glaring at Starlight, growling lightly.
Starlight: "I.." She recoiled in shock. "..Bon-Bon?" Her brow furrowed in worry.
Bon-Bon: "I.." She shrugged, gave her a blank look, walked over, and gave Lyra a deep-throating kiss.
Once they pulled away, though..
Lyra: "An' I be th' one what knows old legends 'n such - I'd'a been th' *Mare Mater*'d've rescued ye, if K hadn't been here." *Snort*
K: "..program complete, initiating standard defrosting." I stated, completely ignoring the whole outburst. But, I looked at Starlight, deadpan. "Where I come from, we have Racism and other forms of discrimination all the time. I'm used to seeing it. I'm USED to being told that I'm no good, or not worthy or whatever. Your words don't hurt me, and neither does your attitude. You may not be grateful - I don't care. I have a job to do, which includes rescuing you. If you want to become a hermit after we get back to a settled area, that's fine. I don't care. But life and society are nothing like you remember them, and if you don't adapt, you will be completely alone. In fact, you'd be very hard pressed to find a single pony in the entire NEIGHTO alliance that has anything BUT good things to say about me - and an even smaller minority that share your homophobia." I looked back at the screen. "Process is three percent complete - and running smoothly."
Starlight shut up after that.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Register
TIME: 17:11 ERST
DATE: War Day 513/2 Noneus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Stasis Pod Chamber, Secret Lab
After a longer time than the previous two pods, Teddy's opened, and Dr. Allcome, Nurse Sweetheart, and Fluttershy got to work on him. I finally sat down next to Bright Eyes, and dug out my GameColt.. and showed it to her.
Bright Eyes: "Oh! I remember inventing those as a filly." She smiled a little.
K: "What year was it? The last one you remember." I nodded to her.
Bright Eyes: "2012." She shrugged.
K: "So, you're 30." I shrugged. "As far as you know."
Bright Eyes: "More like eight thousand and thirty." She snickered a little. "I've never actually SEEN a human before.. I mean, I heard the stories of The Old Ones.." She looked down.
K: "I met them, in your own distant past, in Pony Land. Megan, Danny, and Molly." I nodded. "And this was a gift from their father." I pulled out the Smith & Wesson.
Bright Eyes: "Oo.." She blinked at it. "I'm guessing those things project a conical shaped piece of jacketed metal at high velocity. Like, over one thousand feet per second." She blinked.
Gaze: "Och. She uses IMPERIAL measurements!" He snickered a bit.
Bright Eyes: "..you don't?"
Gaze: "Nah, lass, we use Metric." He nodded. "Unicorns came up wi' it first."
K: "He's right. I'll have to help you with Imperial to Metric conversion. I'm guessing your era called them 'standard' measurements."
Bright Eyes: "We did." She nodded.
K: "Your power core. The nuclear one. P239? U238?" I rattled it off, she'd understand.
Bright Eyes: "Thermal Breeder Reactor. Thorium-232. Minimal radioactive content." She nodded.
K: "There's a leak of some kind. I've not the technology available to secure the reactor. We couldn't find any PPE." I shrugged, using modern terms again.
Bright Eyes: "Unfortunate." She shrugged. "But likely not very dangerous. The amount of radioactive material used is minimal." A nod of thought, here.
Teddy: "Ohhh! What happend!?" He said from his makeshift bed.
K: "Norfy, catch him up." I nodded to him, turning back to Bright Eyes. "Tirek is back. The Avegir is asleep about twelve miles from here." I nodded. "There are many nations of ponies, now, all in different parts of the Inner World. Prance, Germaneigh.. the Herdiet Union.." I looked at her for reaction.
Bright Eyes: "They're BACK?!" She seemed shocked.
K: "I thought so!" I affirmed. "The cataclysm that your time era suffered.. I have a feeling it did more than we thought. Tell me everything you know."
Bright Eyes: "Tirek. It all starts with him. He was ready to come back, and no one believed me. I found ways to see into the future, to get visions of things.." She looked at me, then looked down. "It was a magical artifact called the Wishing Star."
K: "It's dead, now. Tirek murdered it." I frowned. "Then he very nearly killed me."
Bright Eyes: "Oh, dear! Oh.." She shook her head in frustration and took another drink of water. "There was a small group of ponies.. they called themselves the Hero Ponies." She looked at Cosmic. "He looks kinda like one of them." Then to Gaze. "He SOUNDS like one of them!" She giggled a bit.
I looked at the lads.
Gaze: "Ah knew it!" A smirk.
Cosmic: "Me? Really?" He blinked, and looked at Norfy. "What about him?"
Bright Eyes: "Him, too. He reminds me of one of them, just the way he talks.." She lowered her head a bit. "..I kinda had a crush on him, but he was with someone."
Norfy: "Weeeee!" He googly-eye'd Rainbow Dash.
Dash: "Oh, get off!" She playfully shoved him. "Don't you DARE finish that catchphrase!"
Bright Eyes: "Kinda like her, but she looked totally different.." She pointed at Dash.
Dash: *EEP!* "N-No way!"
Norfy: "Looooooove!" He giggled like a loon, and Dash thumped him.
K: "Past lives. She was a Flutter Pony named Firefly." I shrugged. "They did mate in that continuity."
Dash: "THAT. One." She sneered a bit, but I knew it was all in fun.
Bright Eyes: "Heh.. it's kinda funny, really." She shook her head. "There were six of them. Three stallions, three mares." She looked around the room, and pointed to Webley. "One like her." And then to Chemical Splash. "And one like her."
K: "Fascinating." I nodded. "Go on."
Bright Eyes: "I was the only high technology corporation in existence, so, I ended up helping them. A lot." She shrugged. "New gear, research, things like that." And a head-shake. "They handled problems. Small ones, but problems. When I learned that Tirek would return, I tasked them to find a way to stop him.." She trailed off. "..I have no idea if they did. Once I realized the Avegir was already summoned and on its way to Coltonville, I grabbed my friends that I could, and got us into these pods."
K: "Huh." I shook my head. "The Herdiets have atomic weapons. So do we. Can we breed more weapons-grade Uranium from your reactor?" I looked down. "I know how to create a Hydrogen Bomb. I might need it to destroy Tirek for good."
Bright Eyes: "..yes.." She seemed very upset. "There's also a working atomic device in the lowest basement." She looked away. "That was my final weapon, too."
K: "Science will fuck you." I smirked.
Bright Eyes: "Yes, yes it will.."
I didn't realize it, but my wife was a bit jealous. Bright Eyes was talking to me at my level, was very close to my age, and wasn't unattractive by any means by their beauty standards. Right now, I just wanted answers.. I never once questioned my loyalty to Applejack, never thought about it.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Atomic Heart
TIME: 18:32 ERST
DATE: War Day 513/2 Noneus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Bright Eyes Secret Lab, Republic of Harmonia
Dr. Allcome: "..and we really should get out before nightfall." He shrugged. "The sun should be going down, now."
K: "Of course, Doctor. We got what we came for. We need to egress before something bad happens." I nodded. "Get them on litters." I looked to the side. "Cosmic, radio the surface. Let them know we're coming up."
Cosmic: "Actually, K, I've been trying since everyone gathered here. I.. can't get a response, but I don't think the signal's getting through." He shook his head. "It's been almost two hours since our last check-in."
Bright Eyes: "It won't. The bunker is an electromagnetic-proof cage. Even if it's been pierced in a few places.." She shook her head a bit.
K: "I get it. Faraday Cage we called it. Alright, Forest Spirit, Blinda, Havoc, Bella, Webley, Coco. Scout ahead, get to the surface first and secure it if necessary, or radio back if things've gone pear-shaped." I nodded.
Forest Spirit: "On it, bud." He nodded, and the six of them took off.
K: "Splash, come with me. We're going to secure the bomb core. Gilda, Gorcat, you, too."
Gorcat: "Ooo.. neat." He nodded with a grin.
K: "Honey, get them up to the surface. If things've gone wrong up there for some reason, you know what to do." I nodded to Applejack.
AJ: "Yew know it, honeybun." She gave me a perky grin, but she swished her tail on me as she walked past, looking at Starlight. "Y'all realize, a'course, I'm *married* t'that human." A glare.
Starlight didn't really respond, she just kinda laid there, her whole mental world shattered.
Teddy: "Hey.. when we get outta here, I wanna join up." He stated from his stretcher. "I'm serious. Bright Eyes made me her Chief of Security. I know what I'm doing."
K: "I'll see to it." I nodded. "No heroics yet, though, you're not well enough."
And with that, I took off for the bottom of the facility. The one thing I could not allow, was for Tirek to get another working atomic weapon. He'd use it, and he'd use it someplace that could hurt us the most.
It took us about thirty minutes to pick our way down there. Creepers were an issue, but nothing serious. They didn't attack in numbers, always just one or two - easy enough to dispatch.
Gilda: "..hey, I don't want to sound like a sourpuss, here, but.." She started, as we got to the lowest floor. "K, doesn't it feel like this has been FAR too easy?" She looked back at me. "Like, we're being allowed to get this far, for a reason?"
K: "The thought had occurred to me." I dropped my rifle on its sling, and pulled the Sword of Rainbow's Light.
Gorcat: "Hmmm.. gettin' serious." He nodded, with a small grin.
Splash: "Well. I certainly hope not. I'm a scientist and a forensic analyst, I only came with-WAHH!"
A *huge* claw of shadow sliced out from the hallway we were about to enter, and just BARELY missed Splash.
Gilda: "WHAT THE FEATHERS IS THAT?!" She raised her Merrill, and back-walked to the side, grabbing Splash by her tail and pulling her back.
Gorcat: "Covering!" He whipped up his own Abrams machine gun and crab-walked back as well.
K: "I thought so!" I yelled. "Somnambula!" I called into the darkness. "I know you're here! Come on out!" I held the sword ahead of me.
She materialized from the shadows. Looking like a 15/10 on Venice Beach, California. Dressed like it, too. Bikini bottom and what could be construed as short-shorts, one-strap tanktop-like top, short Engineer Boots, and a cloak over it. Lightly olive, sun-kissed skin, raven black hair, ice-blue eyes.. thick, pillowy lips, perfectly cut D-Cup, peach-shaped ass..
Somnambula: "Well.. about time we met." She gazed at me like a hungry wolf might a steak.. or a lone toddler.
Gorcat: "She's HUMAN!" He hissed.
K: "I'm aware." I nodded, looking her right in the eye, before glancing to Gorcat. "She eats people's youth.. basically, drains their life force. She's closer to a Vampire or a Succubus with shadow magic power. You get that last part from Tirek?" I looked back to her.
Somnambula: "Heh.. that's not.. *alllll* I got from him.." She licked her lips, and slid her hands seductively down her body.
K: "Gee, I guess I'm not the only Pimp Daddy around, eh?" I kept my eyes on her.
Somnambula: "Mmm.." She gestured about how large Tirek was, and let me put it this way, folks, no human could compare.
Splash: "..is it bull, horse, or human shaped?" She was at an interesting angle to Somnambula, looking at her, with a pencil and notepad in hoof.
Somnambula: "..bull! Why.. why do YOU care!? It's not like he'd BOTHER with filth like you!" She crossed her arms, and kicked her nose in the air.
I bought what Splash was selling.
K: "Well, I mean, unless that's his goal." I gestured with my left hand. "Celestia's much more powerful than you are.. he's going to WANT to mate with her to create the ultimate offspring.." I glanced at Gilda and Gorcat. "Isn't that the biological imperitive? Isn't that why he had a kid with you? You representing the best of certain powers he could find?" I tilted my head. "Outside of his own?"
Somnambula: "NONSENSE!" She stormed. "I'M HIS QUEEN~!" She started in. "I..." She stopped, blinked.. and shook her head.
Katrina: "Som." She paced slowly down the stairs, a half-cast Spell Sigil floating above her head, around one wrist, ready to throw, with her C-1 pistol in the other.
Somnambula: "..Katrina?!" She seemed surprised.
Jade: "Mother." A firm statement.
Everyone else: "MOTHER!?"
K: "The only 'human' available to bang the Jewel Wizard." I nodded. "I was wondering about that."
Jade came down the steps behind Katrina, she had several jewels floating around her, ready to strike.
Jade: "I wasn't sure until I came here. Until I felt your power." She pointed at Somnambula. "Now I know the truth!"
Somnambula: "..this is not how I pictured this to go." She snorted. "And what are YOU doing here!?" She pointed at Katrina. "You should be LONG dead!"
Katrina: "Eh. I got better." She curled a lip. "This human saved me. K.. saved me.. from Rep, of all people." She shook her head slightly.
Jade: "You've got a choice, mother." She got clear of the stairs and took her place next to me. "Fight me, Aunt Kat, and Uncle K.. or give up."
K: "Somnambula.." I started. "..you know DAMN well Tirek is only keeping you around long enough to fulfill his goals." I pointed at her with my left hand. "Once he's done with you, you're as good as dead! He's ALREADY gotten what he wants out of you! A kid! TWO kids!" I pointed at Jade. "He's using you as a Broodmare to make an army of ultimate children! You're NOTHING to him BUT A WOMB!" I firmly stated.
Somnambula: "I.." She started, then began to back away into the shadows. "..you're.." She pointed up, a bit.
Discord: "Oh, the human isn't *wrong,* my dear." He drifted down from up above. "You know it, deep down.. you're just lying to yourself."
K: "Discord." I ackowledged him.
Discord: "K----." He returned in kind.
Somnambula: "I.. I'm getting out of here!" She stated and tried to move back to the shadows.. but they wouldn't take her.
Discord: "Mmm.. don't think that'll work." He smirked. "He's cut you off. Seems you have to kill K, or he won't take you back."
Somnambula: "TIREK! PLEASE!" She shouted into the void. "I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!" She screamed.
Discord: "No escape, dearie." He smirked.
K: "Your choice. I have enough power here to take care of you, if you make me." I very slightly narrowed my eyes at her.
Somnambula: "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I'VE *ALREADY* ACTIVATED THE ATOM BOMB!" She suddenly screamed at us, her face stricken with terror.
K: "Time!" I dropped my sword, and shoved my way past her.
Somnambula: "Seconds!" She yelled back.
Discord: "Ohhhhhh.. crap!" He actually FOLLOWED me in.. "What do you need, human!?"
K: "Screwdriver, five inch, flat head, ratchet type." I held out my hand and Discord made it appear there.
Gorcat: "Runnin' ain't an option, is it?" He looked at Gilda.
Gilda: "'Fraid not, Cousin." She narrowed her eyes.
Splash: "K?" She moved in next to me.
I was busy ratcheting the access panel off of the device. I could see the countdown on an analogue stopwatch above it. I had less than one minute.
K: "Gorcat! I need claws!" I pointed in the hole. "That ball-sized thing! Cut those wires and pull it out!"
Gorcat: "Got it!" He tossed the machine gun aside, and shoved his arm in the hole. "Almost.. almost.."
I heard it clunk on the inside of the casing.
K: "Good enough! RUN!" I pointed to the stairs.
Discord: "All aboard, human!" He grabbed me, Jade, and Kat.
Gorcat: "Up we go!" He grabbed Splash and Somnambula.
Gilda: "FLY FOR YOUR LIVES!"
We zoomed out of the bomb room, me grabbing the Sword of Rainbow's Light as we zoomed past, and up.. up.. up into the light.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Explosive Exposition
TIME: 19:03 ERST
DATE: War Day 513/2 Noneus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Coltonville Ruins, Republic of Harmonia
Without explanation, Discord simply vanished the second I was deposited outside the hole at the top of the massive stairwell. Gorcat, Jade, Gilda, Splash, Katrina.. and me.
Once we landed, and the explosion subsided, I came up with the Smith & Wesson, hammer drawn back.. ready.
Jade stepped in front of me.
Jade: "Mother." She stated.
Somnambula: "..it's true." She got up off the ground, and shook herself off. "Gods.. my powers.." She looked at herself. "..he's taken away my shadow magic!" She just crumpled into a heap and started crying.
Gilda: C> "Alpha to all callsigns. Firing a flare, get over here." She called for me, letting me handle this.
Katrina: "Som.." She moved over next to her and sat down, putting an arm around her.
Somnambula: "Gods! Katrina!" She sobbed harder. "I thought he LOVED ME!" She looked at her hands. "See..? It's already starting.."
Indeed, they had started to lose their sun-kissed lustre.
I could hear the girls and change coming up, I held up a hand so they'd keep their weapons stayed.
Twilight: "K..?"
K: "Somnambula, everyone. Tirek's lover.. abandoned once she outlived her usefulness. Powers stripped, strength gone.. oh, and this is the mystery human that got with the Jewel Wizard to produce Jade." I shrugged.
Applejack: "'Splain's a lot.." She side-nodded to me. "..she know Katrina all that well?"
K: "Kinda." I shrugged. "More that they remember some of the same events."
Jade: "Hey, Dad didn't really care about me, either." She sat next to Somnambula. "That's the way it goes with evil people. They use others." She gestured. "Didn't you do that, once?"
Somnambula: "To LIVE, yes.. yes, I know I went too far sometimes.. but.. without life essence.. I'll die!" She was full on sobbing. "I'm just glad you didn't GET that.." She sniffled. "..what did he even name you?!"
Jade: "It's Jade. Er.." She looked at me. "..I took his last name, since.. you know.." She gestured.
K: "K---. My surname is K---." I put in, putting my arm around Applejack without thinking about it. "This is my wife, Applejack."
Somnambula: "See?!" She sniffled, tears still cutting channels down her cheeks. "There's proof! Proof that humans can.. love.. outside their species! I knew.. I wasn't THAT wrong!" She cried some more.
I looked back at Twilight.
K: "Get on the horn and get us MedEvac. I want her back in Ponyville, and under Dr. Turner's care." I instructed.
Meanwhile, I watched her fall apart. With zero satisfaction. It's one thing to have an enemy and defeat them. Another to righteously kill a tormentor. But it's entirely different when your foe is one that's hoodwinked and conned into being your enemy, and then awakens to realize the foundation of their entire lives are completely wrong, and the psychological fallout of having their lives deconstructed, their minds torn asunder.
Somnambula: "I really.." She gritted her teeth. "..should have seen this coming when he started sending me on field duties." She bit her fingernails into her palms in anger. "Stopped telling me his every thought. Stopped letting me in on things." She hissed, bitterly.
Katrina: "What CAN you tell us, Som? Anything would help, I-" She was cut off by Havoc, of all people.
Havoc: "Hello, Somnambula." He bowed a bit to her. "Remember me?"
Somnambula: "Ah! Ah.. oh, no.. the wolf.." She seemed very afraid, but defeated, her body going almost limp. "If you want your revenge after all these millenia.. I know not how.. but.." She shook her head, tears still dripping from her chin. "..I deserve whatever you-"
He put his paw on her thigh, and nuzzled her.
Havoc: "I smell only regret. On behalf of the Old Ones long since gone.. I forgive you." He grinned up at her. "We can always make a new start. I did. Katrina did. It's possible." He looked back at me. "K taught a lot of us that, no matter what, we can begin again. Do things differently. Make up for our past mistakes."
Gorcat: "Yeah, like me." He nodded, stepping forwards. "I was one of the first to bear arms against him, and he forgave me. He practically saved me from Tarjas..!" He shook his head. "..I owe him my life."
Gilda: "Me, too. I was on the verge of giving up, I'd made an ass of myself, and I was ready to just.. die. But, he gave me a reason to keep moving forwards." She blushed and looked at Dash. "To find love."
Katrina: "Almost everyone here has a story like that. You? You're no different from me! You can move forwards, too. All you have to do is be willing to try." She one-arm hugged her.
Somnambula: "..a reason to try.." She looked at Jade. "My daughter.."
Jade: "At least I ended up having ONE parent that MIGHT care!" She put a bit of her usual sass into that.
And I think, for the first time in perhaps thousands of years, Somnambula didn't feel like a monster, rejected, feared, and hated. She felt like she might just belong, somewhere. That she might have friends.
And here, Friendship is Magic.
{End of Chapter 55}
