• Published 16th Jan 2014
  • 1,672 Views, 22 Comments

Fallout Equestria: Broken souls & kindred spirits - Dj Scratchjack



This is the story of Elric Faelan, a Stable 132 resident and the fate that befalls him when his home is destroyed by a unknown force and he uncovers a dark secret that shakes the very foundation of his reality and world.

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Chapter 1: Life of the Stable

Chapter 1: Life of the Stable

“The world we live in is governed by three types of ponies. The brave, the greedy, and the ones who gives up their own lives for the good of the country."

"Check the rear flux engine. Heard that's giving the newbies some trouble also." Gasket spoke to me.

I laid there, staring up into the jumble of wiry crap inside one of the three air filtration system units. The new maintenance ponies, fresh from the final exams, were working on the generators many other issues. Gasket and I were the more experienced, so we got the more crappy stuff to fix. I rolled out from under the air filter and grabbed a wrench from the toolbox.

"The flux engine is fine, Gasket." I replied. "How’s the missus?"

"Oh, she's doing fine. The little foal should be here pretty soon. I'm kinda nervous."

I smiled as I rolled back under the unit. "You'll be fine, my friend. Not much can make you prepared to be a father."

I reached up into the machine and managed to fix the fastenings that where causing problems. I spotted a smoldering piece of metal sticking out of the side of a manifold inside the compartment. I reached over to the toolbox to pull out a set of pliers.

"Yeah, I now what you mean. I hope the birth goes over smoothly, some mares don't live through the process, you know." Gasket replied.

Reaching up and pulling out the shard of metal, I found it peculiar. I pushed myself out from underneath the system and showed the metal shard to my friend.

"You know where that's from? Nothing's missing a piece." I asked.

Gasket leaned over to the strange object and made a "hmm" sound then shrugged. "Never seen anything like that either."

I took one more look at it and then shrugged myself, throwing it into my toolbox and pulled the wrench out from the system and replaced it in its proper place.

"OK, flip it over. Let's see if it works." I pointed a hoof at the control console. Gasket checked something off his clipboard and moved over to the controls. With a flick of his hoof and push of a button, the air filtration kicked over almost immediately. A smirk came across both our faces as the others started up along with the first.

Once all three were up and running nicely, I replaced up my tools in the toolbox, grabbed my saddlebags from the ground, and place them on my back. I nudged my friend from his daydream and nodded towards the door.

"Come on, our works done. Let Icarus take over for the new peons." I chuckled. He just smiled and walked out beside me. We walked past the maintenance office to drop off our stuff and clock out.

"So, what’s the big plan your family has going on for this weekend?" Gasket asked as we took out of our personal effects from our lockers.

"Honestly, I don't know. Honey Blossom's plans are always changing. Ma is probably gonna go play poker with her friends, and you know how Blitz is." I replied.

"Yeah, your brother never takes a break from his damned job once in a while. Sooner or later, he's gonna kill himself from exhaustion." Gasket chuckled.

We headed home, walking through the atrium. Ponies went about their daily trials, passing each other with a friendly hello. To the left of us was Blitz's office. The door marked "Living Quarters" was set in the corner, next to the restrooms. Ahead of us was the stairs to the top floor. To the left of us, was 15 foot tall steel, gear-shaped door that sealed us from the harsh radioactive world. We trotted past the Stable door with a quick glance. That ominous slab of metal gave me the chills. Sometimes we hear noises on the outside, tapping or a small pop of something resembling explosives. No pony wanted to know what’s outside. Hell, I didn't even want it to open... most of the time.

Once Gasket came up his home, we said our farewells and separated. I smiled and continued down the dimly lit tunnel. I was always interested of what kind of life was out there after two centuries of silence from the stories I heard from growing up and the pre-war books in the classroom. I studied hard and finally got my dream job after 10 long years in the maintenance department. I was one of the three head ponies in charge. Gasket, Icarus, and I, along with being a Maintenance super, was allowed to mess around with the securities amazing weaponry! Even limited, I always got excited over working with the guns. I even taught the little ones how to clean a BB gun. (I got in so much trouble for that). I lived a good life, mostly kept my nose clean, and went about my work with passion.

But there was always that nagging feeling of emptiness that bugged me. The taps and pops on the other side of the door. Is it just wild animals? Ponies? The untamed radioactive winds bumping stuff outside? I didn't know. I wanted to know. But not enough to see what was really out there. I shook my head at the thoughts swirling in my idle mind.

I came to the iron door that was to my home. I pushed the shiny yellow button on the console and watched as the iron door opened.

Opened to the cluster fuck of my family.

Dad was laying on the sofa, watching my two 1-year-old nephews fighting over a toy rattle. Ma was in the kitchen, whipping up some supper. Kris was in the study, nose in the terminal on his desk. Sis was playing around with her gadgets on her bed. As I walked past, she looked up quickly and went bug-eyed. She put on a pouty face and closed the door on me. Typical mare.

I walked over to my bed alongside Blitz's desk where the Over-stallion himself sat with a pen in his mouth, red eyed from sleep deprivation and staring at parchment all night. I flung myself on to the bed and sighed.

"Hey, B." I spoke.

Blitz spat out his pen, picked up his notes, stamped them on the desk for neatness. "Hey, Elric. How’s work?"

I waved a hoof in the air. "Easy wheezy. They should be finishing up by now."

"Hmm, that's good." He got out of his chair, floating the papers over to a briefcase and placed them carefully in with his magic. He went over to his bed right next to mine. He rolled onto the deflated mattress and sighed. I could have sworn he'd fall asleep right then and there. He needed it badly. But we all knew that wasn't how he worked. We sat there in silence, staring at the dark grey ceiling.

Growing up, we had many of the same dreams. To rule the world we knew in our own terms. But one difference changed that between us. We grew wiser. Only one of us would get it. So, knowing him being the elder, it was only right to have him go first. He studied business and leadership. I studied Mechanics & Weaponry of the Stable. Dad retired as the older Over-Stallion, Blitz took up the seat. I became the Maintenance Departments newest peon.

I laid there, head-to-head with my brother, enjoying what little time he's relaxing. I closed my eyes.

"Hey, Elric? Can I ask something of you?" Blitz piped out. He startled me for a quick second, but I smiled and replied with a "Sure."

"... Do you think that we will ever be able to go back out into the world? I mean," He flipped over to face me with a look of wonderment that I haven't seen in years," it’s been a little over 200 years. Surely the radiation out there must of died out little bit."

I flipped over to face my brother staring at me with an anxious expression on his face.

"Well, y-yeah. I believe sooner or later we should be able to, but not in this lifetime probably." I replied.

Blitz flipped back over to look at the ceiling again. He let out a sigh. “Just think... lush grasslands, and rolling hills like the stories say. The towns bustling with life by now."

I laid there looking at the disgruntled leader of my world. The sight of him still trying to cling on a childish idea we both shared was astonishing.

"Boys! Dinners ready!" Ma yelled out from the kitchen. Blitz and I took one more glance at each other, smirked and presided to race towards the kitchen, pushing each other out of the way.

During dinner, Blitz went over his notes with the family. He is proposing the medical clinic to start an annual radiation check in the near future. The maintenance department will need to work on the reactor core in sub level 6 too for it was reading at a high temp level. Two speeches, and a rather lucky wedding will be within the next week, and a reminder for Security to keep on the lookout for the Teacake Snatcher. I kinda snickered at that one.

They didn't suspect a thing.

I sat back and listened to my family bicker, laugh, smile, and chat about their days. I looked over to my nephews having the time of their lives with Kris, throwing their noodles at him and giggling. I smiled at the beautiful sight before me. This is my life. My daily routine. What keeps me going at work.

I got ready for bed shortly after helping out with dishes and tidying up after the kids. I grabbed my towel from the floor of the room, headed toward the bath before Sis used all the hot water again. Taking off my utility barding and hanging it over the towel rack, I unfolded my cramped wings. The joints popped as I stretched them as much as I could in the cramped space provided. Turning on the shower and hopping in the nice warm water, I started to hum a tune while I scrubbed the filth of the day from my coat and feathers. After what seemed mere minutes of bliss, the water started to turn cold. I turned off the water to hear a clink sound from the door. I peeked out from behind the shower door to find nothing out of the ordinary. I shrugged and grabbed my towel from the counter. I walked out of the bathroom to find Sis trotting by the door with a device in her mouth.

And I knew exactly what it was, and she was not supposed to have one. A Pip-buck. No one besides the Over-stallion was allowed to even be near one. Tech like that was beyond capability to harm another. I would know.

I was the one that caused the first injury.

"Sis! What in the hay are you doing?!" I hissed at her, wide-eyed with caution. Blitz would explode if he saw her with one.

She turned towards me with an expression of confusion. "Whah?" She spoke around the device.

"You know what kind of shit that you will be in if Blitz, Hell, even Dad find you with that?!" I whispered harshly at her.

"Sho? Itsh naw like you gonna tattle-tell on meh, are ya?" She smirked and spat it out on her bed. "And it’s not for he doesn't know anyway. Blitz asked me to get it for you." she remarked.

I was stopped mid-thought at her comment. Blitz asked her to get it? For me? Wha-?

Sis put up her hoof and laughed. "Here. I already know what you’re gonna say. He has a plan for you. He won’t tell me, but I'm sure he will tell you soon. He seemed rather shaken over it the last couple of days. I don't know, but keep it on the down low, ya hear?" She spoke to me as if I was a small colt again.

Before I said another word, she motioned me to come forward. I hesitated for a second. She was probably trying to pin this one me. She's done that before.

Several times.

I slowly stepped forward, and as quick as can be, Sis threw the Pip-Buck around my left foreleg and buckled it down. I watched her intently. I still don't trust her. She might have put itching powder under the brace and Wonder-glued the buckles so I can't get at it. But nothing happened while I sat there with her fiddling with the screws with a hex wrench.

"Annnd... there. All done. That wasn't so bad, was it?" She smiled and slipped the wrench onto my ear with her stupid unicorn magic. I placed my hoof back to the ground. It was lighter than I remembered. Then again, I was just a small colt at the time. I looked back up to watch the plot of my sister-in-law shuffle back into her room and closed the door. I shook my head and fished the hex wrench out of my mane. I came around the corner to see Blitz at his usual spot.

But this time without his same stoic expression. He seemed more relaxed.

"Hey Blitz. Do you know about this by any chance?" I asked, lifting up my left leg. He turned towards me and saw the Pip-buck on my foreleg. He pointed a hoof at the door and motioned me to close it. I obeyed.

He stood up out of his chair and came to me with a quick skip. He flipped my hoof around to inspect the device. After a few tweaks with the hex wrench and a satisfied nod, He turned to his desk and hoofed over a roll of paper. I looked at the Over-Stallion with a cocked brow, but gingerly took up the scrap of parchment. I unrolled it to reveal a series of codes and numbers written in scrawl all over the scrap. I looked back up to Blitz to see him punching in something on his own Pip-Buck. All of the sudden, my Pip-buck started to switch on to reveal a vaguely familiar buck winking at me with the words: Pip-Buck 4006. v.2.5.4, staring at me in a dark amber color. Then things started flashing around in my eyesight. I tried to swat them away, but with no avail. The small little meter looking things flickered about for a few quick seconds, and then disappeared.

I looked back over to my brother to see him smile. And not a happy smile, like one of those weird, broken down and tired smiles. And it creeped me out way too much than I wanted to be.

"So. Elric. I'm gonna get straight to the point here. I need your help." Blitz placed his head on his upright hooves over the back of the chair. “The Pip-Buck on your leg there has the bypass codes for most the Stable-tec doors out in the world, along with some other small project files. I uploaded the codes and stuff to your device. The paper you have there is the series of codes to unlock the security door in the tunnel.

I went into shock at every other word coming out of this pony's mouth. Bypass codes? Stable-tec?

Then it hit me. "Y-you’re not suggesting-?"

"Yes, Elric. I am. I'm tired of the same shit we poor ponies have to endure. Seeing the same four walls every Celestia-damned day from birth to death. I believe we need to break out of these grey cages and go out. Be free. Enjoy the beautiful sun!" He spun around in his chair, hooves in the air like he was dancing in the fields of the text books.

"Blitz, that's impossible! You know as well as I do there is no way we can open that door! We don't know what’s out there waiting!" I lashed out towards my brother.

He stumbled out of his chair toward me and pointed a hoof at the bedroom door. "Exactly! We don't know what out there! How will we know if we don't try?" He reached out and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Come on, brother. Isn’t this our dream? To get out there and explore a whole new world? You'll be able to learn to fly! Come on, what do you say? You in?" He removed his hoof from my shoulder and held out the other one in a waiting hoof-shake.

I thought on the subject of leaving the Stable since I was little. I really wanted to see the outside. And being able to fly? That concept always was on my mind. I finally am getting the chance to do something that we talked about for years, but never knew what do about it. Now it was sitting right here, right in front of my face.

I sighed after a few long moments. "I know I'm gonna regret this." I reached out to my brother and hoof-bumped him. He pulled me into a hug and presided to squee.

"Thank you!" He let go of me and turned toward his terminal. He click a few buttons and my Pip-Buck started to flicker again. "There. Your S.A.T.S and E.F.S is now active. Careful this time, we don't want another missing limb, do we?"

I flipped into my bed and stared at the grey ceiling. Blitz turned back to his computer, happier than I've ever remember seeing him. He was planning a very risky attempt to change the course of our lives. For better or for worse...

I flipped around to look at Blitz. "When do you plan to do all this nonsense?" I asked.

He returned that awful, creepy grin. "Well, why not tomorrow? That seems like a good day, don't you think?"

I gulped. This stallion had already had everything ready, and all he needed was me.

Tomorrow was gonna be a shitstorm waiting to happen. And we were going to cause all of hell to break loose in the populace.... nothing better than an anxiety attack to put you asleep.