We’re going to need a carefully thought out plan!

I’m coming Daring Do!

That’s not a plan!

Chapter 11: Job Offer

After my destruction of what had once been an enemy stallion, we agreed to search the place from top to bottom for anything that might be useful… At least Lestride, John and I agreed on one thing: The recently freed Dull Bowie was an absolute coward.

“I’m not fighting any more of those raiders,” he said. “I’ll meet you back outside!”

“Listen,” said John, irritated. “We didn’t free you just so you could run off like the little chicken shit your name implies!”

I’d never heard John shout like that. I made a memo in my mind-terminal to ask him about that later. Despite his reservations, Dull Bowie stayed with us and I gave him a lead pipe to defend himself. He looked uneasy at such a makeshift weapon, but I sure as hell wasn’t giving him a real gun.

Near the entrance we found a locked door. The lock on the door was some real high-quality stable-tech stuff and was miles beyond my skill to pick. However, the terminal that operated the door was something I could’ve hacked in my sleep and got it on my second guess.

I opened the door and walked in, revolver at the ready. Inside, there were a pack of Mint-als, which I hastily pocketed and a few health potions. There was also a safe, but sadly, I didn’t know enough to pick this lock either. A trip to what had once been a bookstore of some kind revealed another safe I couldn’t pick. I was beginning to regret my field of expertise.

However, there was also an old elevator that was out of order. Finally, this was something I could fix. After a few minutes of tinkering, I heard it roll down to our level and climbed inside motioning to the others to join me. It creakily rose up to the second floor and we exited. I kept one eye on my EFS the whole time, but it stayed blank. We saw a body lying on the floor, and to be safe I put a round in it.

There was no reaction and John examined it with his practiced eye.

“It’s been here for a long time, a few months at least.”

“What killed him?” I asked.

“Starvation or dehydration… some mixture of both most likely. There’s bound to be a few more bodies up here. There’s loads of defensive wounds on his forehooves, but nothing made by a weapon.”

“Noted. Let’s split up and search.”

I took the first room to the right, and didn’t regret it. There was a few small piles of ammo that matched my rifle and a pre-war hat. I put it on and smiled, knowing I must look ridiculous. There also also a sparkle-cola machine in the hallway. I opened it, knowing it must be empty. To my amazement, there were three carroty sodas inside. I tried to logic this out.

FACT: Ponies were trapped here then starved and dehydrated to the point of death.

FACT: This machine still had fresh soda in it, perfectly acceptable to drink.

POSSIBLITY: Someone filled this machine after their deaths… impossible. The elevator was broken and stairs are blocked off.

POSSIBLITY: The ponies didn’t think to check the machine… highly unlikely. It was already busted open when I got here. There’s no way these ponies dying of thirst wouldn’t check this for something to drink.

POSSIBLITY: The machines magically refill themselves…

Was that it? It wasn’t impossible as far as I knew, though I knew little about magic or enchanted objects.

RESULTS OF DEDUCTION: INCONCULSIVE…

I put the sodas in my saddlebags and went to meet up with John and Lestride. John handed me a vial of Dash, and I looked at him surprised.

“I don’t like your using it, but if it keeps you safe, I’ll deal with it.”

I now had three vials of the thought-enhancing drug and my small stash of Mint-als was still in healthy supply. Lestride either hadn’t found anything or wasn’t sharing what she did find with us. Not that it mattered to me; we’d already gotten plenty of good hull from this place. It was time to get the coward back to his post and finally do right be someponies in the wasteland.

When we brought Dull Bowie back to Philomena’s fire, we were ready for a wide verity of reactions. What we didn’t expect was a basic indifference.

“Shouldn’t they be ready to… I don’t know… start fixing things?” I asked as they continued patrolling the casino, ready for a fight.

“Look,” said Bowie slyly. “I appreciate y’all setting me free and whatnot, but it doesn’t really help until we get a new sheriff.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Afraid not. I’m no leader.”

“What are you exactly?” asked John, about as fed up with Bowie as I was.

“Look, I know you already did a lot for me…”

“Too right!” I interrupted.

“But if you all could help us find a new sheriff we could really get started here.”

I facehoofed, then took a deep breath.

“Alright,” I said. “You need a new sheriff. Got anypony in mind?”

“Well,” said Bowie, deep in thought. “It has to be someone adventurous, fierce, and undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable… sort of like you, but more of a homebody. I suppose you could reprogram the robot over there if you wanted to, but I don’t much like the thought of a machine deciding justice.”

As giddy as I was at the thought of tinkering with a machine, my brain reminded me of the word justice. There was another pony I’d recently met who had a good idea of what justice should and shouldn’t be. I was just glad I’d already asked for his pardon.

“Hey John,” I said. “Think you could go the prison and ask Meyers if he wants to be the sheriff here?”

“You think that’s a good idea?” John asked.

“The NCE could always take over, and put them under martial law,” said Lestride.

“I bet you’d enjoy terrifying everyone,” hissed John. “Nevermind, I’ll go get the prison pony!”

I brought Lestride back to the camp and entered the Lieutenant’s tent. He sat behind his desk, and I saw his eyes light up with surprise when I entered. I could tell from his expression he hadn’t expected me back at all.

“Well,” I said, clearing my throat. “In short, not dead.”

“I… I can see… how did you…”

“The specifics are all in your sergeant’s report. However, given that I’m also getting Dodge Junction a sheriff I say you still owe me one.”

The lieutenant examined me for a long moment, and eventually handed me a small radio with a mouthpiece.

“I may not understand you Sherclop Pones, but I know one thing. Anyone who can clear out an entire town of raiders and a prison full of Dyno Doomponies is nopony I want to cross, and I’d like to keep you on our side in case we need you.”

“I’m not a real warrior,” I said. “John Trotson deserves that praise. However, I am a detective pony. I dig and dig until I get answers. You have a mystery on your hooves, give me a call. I’m more suited to that type of work.”

“Very well, how about this then? There’s a town to the west of here called Neighton. I won’t pretend to know exactly what’s going on there, but they’ve had an unusual number of feral ghoul ponies showing up at their factory. I don’t know how exciting it’ll be for you, but it’d certainly help them out quite a lot.”

I shivered. The idea of attacking ghoul ponies didn’t sit well with me. They reminded me too much of mother… However, this was a brand new business arrangement and it was best I didn’t mess it up by refusing my very first case. I saluted the stallion and smiled.

“In return,” I said. “I want to know that if I do take on more than I can chew in a fight, I can count on some NCE backup.”

The lieutenant eyed me again, as if weighing my worth.

“Fair enough, but don’t go abusing it. We don’t hand these radios out in the usual gift basket.”

I nodded. I may not be a great bartering pony, but I sure as hell knew when I was important to a faction of ponies. I spied the mattress in the corner of the tent and asked for permission to sleep until John got back. Thankfully, the stallion agreed and I got some rest.

Several hours later, I was awoken by John, smiling down at me.

“Well Dodge Junction has their new sheriff,” he said. “Well done detective!”

I couldn’t tell for sure if John was being sincere or if he was mocking me for my namesake. I decided it was a compliment either way and saddled myself up, putting my coat and hat on to combat the cold. I asked John if he wanted to sleep while I kept watch.

“Already did when I got back,” he said. “You were out almost all day!”

I didn’t realize how tired I must’ve been.

“Thanks for letting me sleep,” I said. “We have an actual case down in Neighton if you want to check it out.”

“Sure thing, what’s it about?”

“Several feral ghoul ponies are showing up outside a factory near there.”

John stopped and looked at me curiously.

“You don’t like ghouls?” he asked.

I was a bit shocked. I had made an effort to keep my voice neutral, but apparently it hadn’t mattered. John could read me a lot better than most.

“I… It’s complicated.”

“Walk and talk,” he said, nodding at a couple of the NCE who were nearby.

We began trudging through the wasteland in the direction my pipbuck indicated.

“You remember how my father and I fight?”

“Very well.”

“Well, he blames me for my mom’s death… and he’s indirectly right. I wasn’t born in the stable… neither was my sister, Myclop. We were surface ponies, but I was too young to recall anything. Just after my mother gave birth to me, we were attacked…”

John looked at me wearily.

“By ghouls?” he asked.

“A glowing ghoul pony, according to the death report. They emit radiation, right?”

“Yeah.”

“After I was born, my mother was in no condition to run, and my father had to choose between carrying her or carrying me. I was small, lighter and I couldn’t run or defend myself. Father made the logical choice and carried me into the stable. He saved my life that day.”

“But your mother died…”

“Exactly. I’ve never really… gotten over that. It was because of me, even if it wasn’t my fault. Father never got over it at all, hence the attacks. We reached the stable in time to hide inside, but mother… she never would’ve made it, and he got to watch her die fighting off the ghoul as best she could while we were being brought into the stable. I can’t imagine much worse.”

John bowed his head softly.

“We… we don’t have to take this one. I wouldn’t make you deal with ghouls because of that.”

I shook my head.

“I think I can keep my head straight. After all, it wouldn’t look good to the NCE if the first case we take is one I end up turning down because of a hang-up.”

“Alright, but if you can’t take it, and I mean that, promise me you’ll turn around and stop.”

“I promise.”

“Good. You’re my best friend, Sherclop, and I’d hate to lose you because of your stupidity.”

That made me laugh. John had a bluntness about him that was honest and humorous in the same blow. I thought about what else he’d said too. I was his friend…

I’d never had friends before, certainly not in Myclop’s stable. Yet here was this ex-captain military medic who considered me worthy of being his friend, even though we’d really only met a few days ago. Honestly, he was more of an enigma to me than anypony else I’d met up here. Why he wanted me as a friend baffled me, but for my part, I considered him a friend.

“You’re my friend too,” was all I said.

He smiled at me and we continued on our path west, towards our first real case together.