The chronicles of Project Horizons : chapter 38

This chapter was mostly fine until... the end that infuriates me on so many level that I think I'll have to explain, as usual, in details why what Somber tried to do failed. I do consider there's such a thing as going to far and being beyond redemption. It is something I need to discuss here. As for the rest of the chapter... Well, let us review it.

Let's go !

The first scene is our friend BJ having visions as if she was inside a memory orb and she saw the visit of Twilight in Hyppocratic Research, we learn that she cannot finish the alicorn potion without what makes the Flux, the Flux and such she comes to see what it is. You have to understand that, a week later, the bombs are going to fall. For ten long years, Twilight never wondered what could possibly be that magical goo that found itself into every single thing ? She waits that long to finally get around it, pointlessly trying to copy the formula when she has the executive authority to ask for Flux and even have access to secret databases ? She's a Ministry Mare and this scene is treating like she's a subordinate of the Great and Mighty Goldenblood.

Speaking of which, he is in this scene despite having been demoted from his rank as a director but even he talks to Twilight like she's a child that shouldn't know secrets (Quick reminder that Twilight should be in her mid to late forties at this point.) Hell, her authority is saped by the single fact that GB allows her to see it despite his warnings. Twilight is shown here as an incompetent and utterly naive mare and even when she asked for everything regarding Chimera, you'll see that apparently she didn't care or know about... the cloning aspect of it. More on that later.

The next scene, BJ gets back more of her magic and after some hijinks with a robot, we learn that apparently there are two "entities" that fight each other through sending order and counter-orders. One is most certainly the Star God in the basement but the second is unknown. I doubt it's Goldenblood but it's more wishful thinking than anything else.

Then a lot of padding. Nothing of substance except that we still have Super GB that wants to both kill and die for our sins. He should form a club with Pip and BJ.

Then our BJesus meet a strangely white creature that barely functions as a pony, a meat robot of sort that seems to be all white. Then BJ fights Fury (the pony that explodes because she's been fused with a phoenix. I don't know why Somber thinks Phoenix are that explosive, but sure.) and while I really like the idea behind, wrecking a phenix by scattering its ashes, did we really need it to be done with a 'convenient' fire hose ? Then again, Fury wasn't much of a character anyway.

Then more fight with a particularly gruesome death but still, padding ! Then we get to have a tour of the Chimera facility. First step : the organ farm and how it works.

“This is our organ harvesting operation,” Goldenblood said smoothly. “It’s fairly new, only been in operation a year or so. The system automatically removes any and all viable organs from any subject placed on the table. They’re then loaded into the stasis containers for delivery all across Equestria,” he said as he pointed down at the white boxes with a hoof.

“Organ… what?!” Twilight’s mane frizzed at once. “Does Fluttershy know about this?” she asked as she pointed down at the room.

“In a general sense,” Trueblood muttered. “She understood the crippling need for ponies all across Equestria to have compatible organs. She might be somewhat ignorant as to the specifics. All she needs to know is that when a little colt or filly needs a heart transplant, her ministry can provide it. And if not, she can keep them alive till proper organs are arranged. She doesn’t need to know how it works.”

It's interesting, I'm sure. The need to transplant organs can be important and it's not a bad idea in principle. Provided the organs are compatible and not rejected or that something born from Flux isn't completely meant to die but let's admit it works for now. How do they get those organs ? You'll see.

“Oh?” Goldenblood arched a brow as he trotted in front of her. “Would you rather have ponies die when we have the magic and technology to save them? If so, make the command. We’ll shut that room down forever.” Twilight looked horrified, and he shook his head. “This is why we keep you and your friends in the dark. So that you don’t have to know these things.”

Damn, he's right ! If only there was another project done at the same time and who was in full effect during the war that could provide not only a new organ but something that works better and last for longer. Something perhaps synthetic that would perhaps have been the basis for a protagonist in this fiction getting back all her messed up organs. That's wishful thinking obviously, it's impossible for such a project and to be so convenient that everything from eye to stomach can be changed and without any needless loss of life. Well played Somber.

Then it's time for the Manticore MonsterPony to die. She gets killed horribly. Moving on. Oh, and P-21 and Rampage finally rejoined our heroin since they had been separated since she had fallen into the elevator shaft, last episode. We see that P-21 Med-X addiction is still alive and kicking and that Boo, the white pony, is still as strange as ever. Also, it seems that P-21 and Rampage heard BJ's voice guiding them which is perhaps the good 'entity' that tries to counter all the orders of the Evil Star God.

P-21 shows real sign of stress and anger and Rampage is essentially a bitch. She isn't wrong but she's clearly a bitch, especially since Miss Torture Fetish Doll should understand how shitty you could feel... a day after your surrogate lover died. Then... we learn that BJ didn't know that chems were addictive in nature (which baffles me to no end) and that BJ seems awfully... in denial when it comes to P-21's addiction and I can't really pinpoint the reason why.

And now, we learn that Chimera also had a viable technology to clone and not just blanks. When Chimera was not sealed, you could apparently make a copy of another pony just like that. And the blanks are the source of the organs and there is the whole ethical question "Is a blank a pony and should it be treated like one ?"

Now, point by point : Chimera is able to clone pony to perfection. What the actual fuck ? In less than 10 years, GB successfully developped a cloning machine that exceeded all expectations and he basically created a life-creating machine. Is there a thing he doesn't know how to do ? This machine has been created in such a short time that I cannot believe it's possible, not with the whole lot of things that was done at the same time. For fuck sake, did Equestria had bottomless coffers to finance secret projects that never really came to fruition ? The cloning did, sure but that's hardly interesting when you're in a world where :

Healing Megaspells exists ! Hell, even the Healing Talismans or sarcophagus, the only thing it apparently can't heal is death and taint. So what, are all organs covered in taint thus the need for Chimera's cloning aspect ? Somber, you're shooting yourself in the fucking foot by trying to cram far too many concepts into one fiction without thinking of the context. Healing Megaspells can instantly regrow the entire bottom part of a pony if he still has a spark of life in him for crying out loud ! You just have to remove the failed organ, spark the megaspell and boom, new organ !

Does the ethical question about cloning and if you should treat them as human interesting ? Of course it is, it is a genuine question that many a scientists ask themselves but in the world of FO:E it makes no sense to waste so much time and money when literally : Steelpony exists, healing talismans, megaspells and sarcophagi exists so why the fuck would cloning intervene. Why am I the one to point that out ? Twilight, where is your fucking brain ? You're supposed to be a fucking genius ! But oh yes, GB is here, it means that Twilight has to look with both awe and horror at how dedicated to the cause he is because... everything is about him.

“She can and does. She sees nothing wrong with using Chimera to help the lives of thousands of actual thinking, feeling ponies.” He looked at the blank standing there. “And think. If we could somehow give blanks intellect, we wouldn’t need ponies to fight anymore. We could produce whole armies of blanks, suit them up in power armor or fuse them with dragons, manticores, and phoenixes and send them against our enemies. With Chimera, we could conquer the entire world, if Luna willed it!” he said with a grand wave of his hoof, before he dropped it and stared into her eyes. “And she will. Maybe not today, or tomorrow… but she will. The temptation is inescapable,” he finished in a dreadfully quiet voice; I couldn’t tell if he was talking to Twilight or to himself.

I won't bother restating my points and will simply say that Luna is an utter moron and I really doubt that Luna is interested in conquering the world. Goldenblood is just projecting extremely hard. Celestia ruled peacefully for 1000 years and I don't remember her trying to kill the gryphons, the zebras or the buffalos. So here, GB is obviously talking from his ass but let's go with his plan to make blanks an army. Let's entertain the idea that you could create in a decent amount of time a huge army of blanks and fuse them with creatures and put them in power armors.

1: Who is going to train them ? Hell, can they be taught how to shoot a gun and devise tactics ? GB just said that they had no minds of their own so it would imply that they would let the spirit of the creatures control him but didn't you say that dragons, phoenixes and manticores were too unstable to be sent to war and listen to orders ?

2: While you can certainly create a lot of ponies, what's your strategy ? To win with just sheer numbers and savagery when the zebras uses dragons and balefire megaspells and anti-tank rifles ? You understand that it is far more likely that the Blanks will get utterly decimated by the seasoned veterans of the Zebra army, right ? Especially fighting a mindless drone that don't know how to defend itself and it would take years of training and indoctrinating for them to be efficient and time is something you don't have. For crying out loud, the whole backstory of the Zebras is that they fight monsters all the time and they already found the counter to the Steel Ranger armor, so your plan is utterly stupid, expensive and unrealistic on top of being needlessly and pointlessly cruel.

3: Does a clone directly pops out of the machine as an adult or does the body have to mature ? Because if the body has to mature, then it definitely needs time and again, you don't have unlimited time. Does it need to eat ? Well, GB seems to say that's the case so... you intend to create an infinite army with... what kind of food production exactly ? The more mouth you have to feed, the more you need to take that into account when during field battles.

4: Everything is dumb.

Then we learn that there is not six souls in Rampage but seven : Razorwire, a thief is the new addition. She died apparently. Moving on, I still don't see the point of that walking mystery box unless it's supposed to tell us something important.

“So we promise him whatever he wants, get Scotch’s clone, and then kill him,” P-21 said so matter-of-factly that it chilled me. Worse, a part of me agreed with him. Kill him afterwards. That sounded so neat. So pat. So…

So exactly what Sanguine would do.

When I’d lost EC-1101, it was like losing Stable 99 and Scoodle. They were moments where my actions had led to complete failure and terrible consequences for others. I wanted to win so badly that I could taste it. He’d probably believe me if I told him we’d let him go; I had that whole ‘noble idiot’ thing going. P-21 could rig something to go boom. We could do it. I could not only win, but also get vengeance on the bloody monster.

And I wanted to, as well. I had to admit that. I wanted to win; after being chased, shot up, and raped… I wanted to be on the giving end. I wanted to be the one who trotted away with everything because I was the sneaky pony who got away with it. All I had to do was get EC-1101, promise him whatever he wanted, get it, and then kill him.

Then a little orange pony bucked me right upside the head. Was that what I wanted? Deep down? Vengeance on my enemies? Lie. Cheat. Steal. Destroy. Was that what Security was all about now?

I'm not commenting on that yet, just keep it nice and clear in your heads.

Then we learn that... the Dealer is actually the spirit of EC-1101 (which is totally a copy of the spirit of Goldenblood shaped as Death, I'm calling it here) and that it wasn't BJ going mad, obviously. And the self-aware EC-1101 refuses to work for Psychosy even though we'll learn later that she's the direct daughter of the OG Fluttershy and Goldenblood. Nice, now we have a megaspell who decides who he wants to obey to. What is the fucking point of that ? I swear, it better not have been an intended feature or I'm going to slap a bitch. It fucking reduced the whole dilemma of chapter 36 completely worthless !

You had a fucking opportunity to shake the status quo from a direct mistake of the hero, deprive her of her Pipbuck and her cheating spells and other features. It could have been a bold move ! Hell, you even seemed to go that way with the fact that other Pipbucks simply didn't work with her. Why fuck it up like that just for the sake of cheap drama ? Yeah, sure, the fact that she gave the Pipbuck was a huge 'Fuck you' to the entirety of the fiction so far but at least fucking capitalize on your own decisions instead of reseting everything ! It's a damn shame.

Then we have another fight and... Sanguine giving us his sob story. It's uninteresting. It's basic as hell. A man wanting to save his family and becoming a monster in the process (then again, it's bullshit, the guy was already a mad scientist who didn't care about other's lives, see Stonewing's memory orb.) But we all know why it happens : A generic sob story to explain why she won't kill Sanguine.

Then Red Eye's army simply leave. Doctor Glue broke the code of Twilight's notes (reference to the original) and now they are abandoning him (despite EC 1101 being the FUCKING KEY TO EQUESTRIA) and saying that he'll be executed if he comes near Red Eye's territory for the massacre at Brimstone's Fall. I don't think I need to mention how stupid and contrived this is, right ? Red Eye should want to kill Bj and take EC-1101, that's not necessary to explain. It's fucking obvious : Key to Equestria that gives you all clearance and killing a pony that literally made you waste time and soldiers ? To the point of humiliating him in his own base ? Sure, not important. It can't be afte all : the original fiction said that BJ doesn't exist.

Then this gem happened :

“I’ll do it. I will. I will!” P-21 yelled as he shook, gritting his teeth. One flick. Just one. I moved even closer to him. I wanted to win. Wanted to avenge Dusty and Priest. Wanted to do all of that. And so did he. Then I put my hooves around him and held him close.

“He’s not the Overmare,” I whispered softly. P-21 froze and then leaned against me as he sniffed. “Killing him won’t be killing her. And it won’t bring Priest back.” He let out a soft sob, muffled by my mane as I held him close. “I wish I could follow through on that promise to Dusty… I do… maybe I still will. But not like this.”

He ever so slowly pulled his hoof away and murmured, “Maybe… but he should be killed. He’s done horrible things… he deserves to die for them.” And I couldn’t argue with that. He was right. Sanguine should die. It would be a win. The right thing to do.

But I’m not an executioner.

Those who read me to this point saw how I already debunked that fucking stupid line. It's a testament to her hypocrisy. However... what is it going to take for BJ to understand the importance of knowing what you want ? You want a fucking safter Wasteland ? Then you have to kill people and yes, sometimes they are on their knees begging but we are not talking about a small offender or someone that has a genuine will to change even if his whole life defined him as a monster !

Sanguine is a monster for more than 200 years now. He has manipulated with glee the genome of pony and monsters, he didn't care at all about the fact that one of his nurse was mercilessly killed by Stonewing and he even smiled like a clichéd villain when he understood that he hated him. He killed tons of people for his selfish interests, sending Deus to kill her Stable, using Psychoshy to do his bidding (as well as manipulating her.) He killed pointlessly cruelly ponies all around the Hoof just because he was getting desperate : passing people through a rock crusher while leavin one of them barely alive to tell the tale, attacking Flank, killing people in an Enervation Field, attacking Megamart and so on !

The guy is clearly insane and cares none for the lives of other (despite what he tries to tell BJ) and it didn't start with the end of the war, he was already an asshole that cannot be trusted ! He reached cartoonish level of villainy and you're going to let him live for no other reason that he's not attacking you at this moment ? You can't be a hero who makes no hard choice, this whole "I'm not an executioner" thing is to avoid confrontation and to avoid losing an hypothetical moral high ground. This is incredibly dumb and even detrimental to the whole thing being taken seriously. So the only thing you have to have to be spared by BJ is to have a sob story and not attack her ? Well, that's sounds about right, alright.

And yes, I get it, there's this whole theme of "pointless massacre" that could have been resolved if they simply talked and were honest with each other, showing the value of Honesty as a part of harmony. Yes, I see that however the fact that Sanguine appeared and acted like a monster hurts really hard this theme. Quite hard.

The last scene show what is actually the Flux : Discord's essence extracted from a silver statue. I won't criticize nor praise it here because I don't have yet enough informations to do so...

Closing thoughts : Padding, padding, stupid ideology, convenient EC-1101 and stupid Goldenblood in one beautiful package.

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