The chronicles of Project Horizons : Chapter 32 & 33 · 2:48pm Nov 23rd, 2018
Yes, a double chapter today because people talked about chapter 33 a lot and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Let's just say that I have a lot to say concerning chapter 33. Chapter 32, however, was quite nice, nothing much to report but it was a relatively well-handled chapter compared to the others but which suffer, as always from padding. Somber should really try to make his scenes have a purpose beyond just the spectacle, it would help giving the reader the impression that he learns new things.
Let's go !
So we have the choir scene. It is a nicely done scene with honestly a lot of emotions put into it and while we know that BJ will not die because BJ, there is a certain amount of dread given by this new place that is closer to a monster than a room. We unfortunately learn very little in this scene, I already pieced together that Folly was a "Taint Cancer-giving" gun. The only mystery now resides in knowing why this white crystal and this strange metal reacts so strongly with one another to the point of creating radiations. On another note, why doesn't BJ give the Folly to Rampage who doesn't care about Taint at all rather than keep a gun that'll alter her body and soul so much she'll basically become a shell of what she is ? Honestly, I don't think Rampage, at this stage, would still pick death over helping BJ.
And... strangely enough, Somber seemed to have suddenly realized that BJ was supposed to be very sick and a cripple because after six chapters of utter nonsense, now we get mention of how badly in shape she is and how her hooves are red and yellow and covered in tumors. He suddenly realized that, yes, she shouldn't be as... jumpy that she have been so far but then again, it really depends on what the narrative needs. When she needs to be an unstoppable badass that fights with braces, she is. When she needs to be the pitiful soon to die martyr, she is.
Then we get the whole scene that shows the Trottingham Steel Rangers and Stronghoof has being very nice to BJ and realizing that the Steel Rangers had a goal in the past but they went astray and, like Steelhooves, he doesn't want to create a civil war by opposing his superiors. Sounds familiar ? Yes, that's Steelhooves' exact thought pattern. My issue with this scene is that, Stronghoof is already chivalrous and ready to help the weak and fight for what's right, meaning that he is essentially making the sudden change of hearts of many Steel Rangers that were on the fence less potent. The point of the creation of the AJ's Rangers was to force the Rangers to make a stand for their belief. Stronghoof already does that and so does the Trottingham rangers, they directly disobey orders and it's really sad that Somber doesn't use that to say "Steelhooves inspired to finally make a stand." Again, it seems like this fiction wanted to have a Steelhooves but better. A personal gripe, I know.
The scene where Scotch Tape basically says that BJ is a fucked up individual for having decided to tinker with her memories is a really nice one, cementing Scotch as a really interesting character but... Somber will make her forgive BJ quite easily, the deed being pushed behind them with surprising ease. At least it's there ? P-21 yells at her but now... we get something that I'll start to call "BJ carrying her cross". She gets very wise, kind and forgiving with P-21 that shows how much he loves her, she forgives Rampage violent side. Her body is her cross and when you know how she "dies" you'll understand what I mean.
So BJ has a plan to meet and destroy the Steel Rangers threat. Honestly, I am not that much of a fan of the plan but then again, why not. You'll see why it has a glaring issue soon. So, Rampage, P-21 and BJ surrenders themselves to Napalm Strike to be locked down on the Celestia. They free themselves, here the villain glotting about firing the canon of the Celestia and... what could have been a very interesting moment is ruined. He had an EFS and instead of shooting then gloating, he literally warns Rampage and BJ of the fact they're busted. Yada Yada, fight scene and... Glory and Scotch Tape comes with Elder Crunchy Carrot with a recording ? How exactly did they meet with the leader when the whole point was to get on the Celestia to meet her, hence the plan to be captured ? It's a stupid scene that leads to a cool unexpected moments where the Elder is betrayed by her unit.
BJ gets her other eye destroyed and to save the Hoof, she fires again Folly and sink the Celestia, condemning herself to die or to be irremediably changed.
************
Now, let's talk about Chapter 33. It's not that long but I have a bit to say about it.
BJ gets rescued from drowning by her friends but first she falls into unconsciousness and has a dream... A dream that is far too vivid to just be a dream. It seems like a premonition. Essentially, it shows the future to BJ. The future that will exist if Glory gives EC-1101 to Sanguine. There are elements, she wasn't able to create herself and it was far too precise for it to just be like the other dreams. Hoofington rose and even the Stable Dweller was killed. I personally am not sure what this future is supposed to tell us aside that : if EC-1101 is given to Sanguine, all of Pip's adventure will be pointless, no matter the Gardens and the SPP.
Again, I'm sorry to say it, but Somber is trying to say that even if Pip did great, Hoofington is the place that matters the most and BJ's adventure is the most important one. It is, of course, only a dream, a very lucid one but try to keep in mind that fact.
The distress that her friends feel when she wakes up is well done but of course, BJ is now in full zen mode where she forgives everyone, continuing to walk towards the hill where she'll be crucified.
We get a memory orb. A last one about Vanity and Project Rebound. We essentially learn that Project Rebound was a secret Stable meant for the aristocracy and nobility so that they could recreate Equestria after the Apocalypse. It was a Stable down out of Stable-Tec natural program and it was a project down by Blueblood, Vanity and Goldenblood. In this memory orb, they're betrayed and people wants to lynch them. Ultimately, Vanity is killed by his brother after he revealed to Blueblood that he banged Rarity.
Now, let me pause a second. You let Goldenblood, Mr "I hate my father and aristocracy and royalty as a whole" supervise a plan to make the aristocracy reigns supreme in their super Stable ? Vanity, aren't you supposed to be the smart, chivalrous one (then again you did reveal to Blueblood that you banged Rarity in front of him when you know the guy is mad). The first thing we knew about GB is that he hates nobility and royal institutions and he wanted to tear them down. It's not even a secret, he directly tells the Princesses this so... why did Vanity believe his nephew's will to make this happen ? Then again, GB is mister "Can't touch me, I'm super secret even thought there are dozens of memory orbs showing how I fucked Equestria"
After that, Lacunae gives a boring speech about the soul to explain why BJ should die. It's pretty standard and doesn't really inform anything aside from the fact that BJ's soul is becoming twisted as much as her body : she's blind (one pieced eye and one burned eye socket, have four limp noodles of hooves in shades of yellow, black and red, completely congestioned with blood and covered in tumors on top of being covered in scars. Let's just say that she looks horrible. Remember this.
We get another useless dream about a secret agent killing the remaining ponies after the bomb fell. Obviously under the orders of Goldenblood if not Goldenblood himself (then again he's supposed to be dead or dying). It tries to show how thorough GB is trying to be regarding eliminating the normal people that would get EC 1101.
Then we get another memory orb and... I'm sorry but it's the most boring, generic completely cliché scene I have ever been witnessed to (at least when the date starts). Before the date starts, Big mac and the Marauders are playing a RPG and we have this gem of a subtle joke, let's see if you can see the joke :
“Great. Knowing my luck, my armor will turn sentient and crazy, or I’ll end up stuck in this stupid can for the rest of my life. Or both.” The green stallion turned back to Big Macintosh. “Well, you go have fun. I need to find out if I explode or not,” he said as he nudged the dice.
The creme-colored, buzz-cut mare chuckled. “Look at it this way. Maybe your gun will explode and kill you and then you’ll come back as a Steam Ranger Revenant! Wouldn’t that be cool?” Twist asked with a grin.
“Right. ‘Cause that’s just how anypony would want to spend the rest of his life: an undead pony trapped in a hunk of metal.” He snorted as he glowered at the incomprehensible sheet of paper in front of him.
It's not funny. It's insanely heavy. Then again, that's just me. Let's go back to Generic town. So after a classic date where we have the shy nerd and the chivalrous, calm gentlecolt getting attacked by drunken sailors wanting to fuck Maripony... We get her being stabbed and him beating the shit out of them. And after 30 chapters, we learn that Maripony is Twilight Sparkle (which means... she could have shielded him instead of, you know, using her body as a shield.)
I am not surprised by the reveal. I'm surprised by how convoluted it is and how it makes no sense that Big Mac never saw her naked even once when they fucked together for a year or so. (Also... does that mean the first memory orb where we see Maripony being pregnant and Big Mac leaving for Shattered Hoof Ridge is prior to this one ? It doesn't make much sense to me how that's possible but perhaps they got back together at some point ? It doesn't seem likely.)
I mean what if Big Mac woke up in the middle of the night for X or Y reason ? Sigh It was convoluted enough before, now it asks me for some heavy twisted logic. In any case, they break up. End of the memory orb.
Then we get to the Crucifixion part of our beautiful Christic approach. Essentially, since the world is quite small, a bunch of people that she's wronged, Fallen Arch's ponies and the pony she gelded in the museum finds the boat. They want to kill her at the start but since she's being all brave and shit they nails her foor noodly, sick limbs to the floor and start raping her. Incidentally, she also gets pierced in her flank by a stab. Did you get that it was a metaphor for the crucifixion of Christ ?
Now let us take a moment. Do you remember what BJ is looking like at this moment ? A blind, scarred with four sick as fuck limbs. No one would want to fuck that, hell I'd be scared for my dick ! However, they do and since they're dumbasses one gets killed thanks to the magic bullets and they finally decided to saw off her horn until she finally get saved.
However, let me be crystal clear : Somber has no grasp on what rape implies and simply used for the easy shock value that it generates in people's minds. The fact that he thinks that a rape victim will naturally have her "biology betraying her" to ease the rape is damn wrong. Furthermore, after all this debauchery of sufferings... She continues with her Christic approach by forgiving her rapists. It's not noble : it's unbelievable and it's sickening to see how much she looks like LittlePip. You don't become a Saint because you suffer. You become a Saint because you act like one and you're remembered for how you lived more than how you died.
“I know… but I forgive them…” I rasped softly. “I… hurt them too… I… understand now…”
It's a sad state of affair when you make this character try to fit in an archetype she isn't and never will be.
After that there was the problem of removing my legs from the floor. With them gone, Lacunae tried prying the nails out, but they’d been hammered deep and the feeling of them being withdrawn nearly stopped my heart. Oilcan was injured but would recover. Unfortunately, there was no recovering from a case of death. There was only one thing to do.
“Get some rope… and make sure that knife is sharp,” I said quietly.
Four tourniquets and some sawing later and I was free. Lacunae set me in the bunk. My whole body wouldn’t stop shaking. I thought that my heart would stop at any second as I shivered but couldn’t seem to warm. I felt filthy, like some kind of biological discharge.
Now, I want you to realize something. She is going to have her four limbs amputated by a knife because the very pain of removing the nails is too much. Do you realize how ass-backwards that is ? She can survive having her four limbs cut WITHOUT ANESTHESIA but she cannot suvive having nails pulled out of her ? It's ridiculous and it's again Somber going over the top "Look, she's blind ! She has no limbs ! See how she suffers for you sins !"
And do we get her screaming in terror as she lost one of her five senses ? Do we get her completely panicking at the fact she is now a joke of a creature ? Do we feel the utter depravity of her state ? No, BJ is still cool as a cucumber and all we get will be a little crying not because of her state but because she understood why P-21 was very hurt when he had been raped. Is that it ? A little tears ? Is that really the best you can do in a state such as this ?
And finally our BJesus dies of her wounds. Finally at peace after so many sufferings.
Pfft. As if.
Closing thoughts : A first good chapter followed by a stupid, nonsensical and preachy one. Yep, that's FO:E alright.
4972056
It's not realistic. It's only there to show you how pure and noble she is. Have you ever done something stupid because you were hurting ? I'm sure you did, then imagine that times 1000 and you'll understand why her reacting like she did is unbelievable (especially since she killed one of them during the rape scene)
4972082
Nothing to explain, what you said is directly stated in the chapter. She wants to do better and killing them won't change anything, etc. However, what's rational isn't always what's logical within a scene.
I don't see the joke, but I do see the foreshadowing.
4972425
It's not foreshadowing if it's not in the same fiction. It's a joke reference.
I know, just wait.
4972571
Just wait ? Well, I'm sure they'll show how he becomes a Canterlot Ghoul but it technically already was in the original. So does that really change my point ?
Oh wait, I'm an idiot. I get the joke now, and it could be foreshadowing if you really want to stretch it but most likely just a reference.