//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Calm Before the Storm // Story: From a Dying World to New Lands // by Electrician //------------------------------// Chapter 22: Calm Before the Storm Perspective: Edgar Worthington Location: Southern United States, 267 miles from home Date: November 1, 2025 “Motherfucker!” Jonathon yelled. While I wasn’t as pissed off as Jonathon was, the offending orange road signs did annoy me quite a bit. “Just our fucking luck,” he continued. “The world ends and construction is still a bitch,” For some ungodly reason, when they expanded the highway, they had decided to also expand the exit ramp for some reason, the one that loops over this highway and connects it with the north-bound one heading into the heart of the city. Chunks were still missing from the ramp, and while my truck could easily plow through the ‘Road Closed’ sign, it can’t fly. Fortunately… “It’s not so bad Jon,” I said, attempting to calm my angry friend. I pointed to the orange sign with an arrow directing us to the next exit. Similar signs could be seen in the distance. “Look over there; they were nice enough to lay out a detour route.” The car tilted gently as I accelerated towards the next exit. “It’s just a minor setback, no need to get bent out of shape. Besides, at least we won’t have to deal with traffic.” Finally relaxing, Jonathon even managed a smile at the thought. “Amen to that, traffic’s the real time killer.” “You see? This silly detour will add a few minutes at most. We’ll be alright.” The pickup sped onto the next exit ramp, kicking up a small cloud of dirt as it did so. Upon exiting to the feeder, the signs pointed out a left turn up ahead. “Looks like the detour is taking us around that neighborhood we saw, then hopefully back onto the highway,” I commented. “Why don’t we just cut across the neighborhood?” Jonathon asked, pointing out the entrance as he did so. “I don’t think detour routes can normally cut across residential areas. But since no one’s around to care…” “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. The neighborhood layout looked like a grid from the highway, so I doubt we’ll get too lost.” Entering and navigating through the neighborhood turned out to be as easy as it looked. The layout was in fact just a giant grid, with a few exceptions. As we navigated the roads within however, something began to stand out. The Infection’s been around for four years. While that’s no-where near enough time for buildings to deteriorate, that’s more than enough time for grass to overgrow, certain plants to die, and for any looting to have taken place. Some of these houses however, actually looked inhabited. The grass was messy but not nearly as tall as some of the other houses. The windows are either intact, or boarded up. Some even had cars in the driveway, cars that looked like they had been driven and washed sometime in the last month. “Is it just me, or does this seem wrong to you?” Jonathon asked. “I swear, that group of Infected really set an eerie mood today.” I knew what he was referring to. This morning on our way out, we encountered a group of Infected on the road inbound to the city. The creepiest part about it was that while I was one hundred percent sure they couldn’t have missed the diesel truck roaring past them, they in fact didn’t seem to notice it. Or they were ignoring it, which is a much more terrifying thought. Could Eddy have been on to something yesterday when he laid out those false paths? Could someone actually be helping the Infected, or worse, could the Infected be developing intelligence? “Edgar?” “What? Oh, sorry about that Jon. But you’re right; some of these houses look far too nice given the circumstances.” Jonathon pointed out one house in particular. “Stop at that house,” he said. “What? Why?” “Do you see the condition of that car? That’s a ’65 Cobra right there, and it looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor! Someone lives in that house for sure.” Even though I slowed down as we approached the specified house, I really didn’t like where this was going. “So what if someone lives there? Why do we have to bother them?” “Edgar, aren’t you at least a little curious? This neighborhood still seems to have quite a few people living in it, despite being so close to a city. Aren’t you curious as to how that’s possible? They could have some potentially game-changing information.” “Or they could just shoot at us!” We were slowly rolling past the house at this point. Without warning, Jonathon opened the door and jumped out. “I’ll take my chances, just a quick knock.” “Jon wait! Think this through a little more…Jonathon!” But the stubborn idiot had already made up his mind. He was going to knock on that door, one way or another. Seeing no alternative, I threw the truck in park and shut it off. I quickly hopped out, and grabbed one of the rifles from the back of the pickup. It was a simple bolt-action rifle, with integrated bipod and a 3X scope. I quickly set up on the hood of the truck; by the time Jonathon reached the porch, I had the crosshairs trained on the door, just to the left of where Jonathon stood. He was going to knock, but he noticed that the door was already open just a crack. It would appear that someone forgot to close it all the way. He ended up knocking on the open door anyway, but received no reply. Jon tilted his head curiously, before motioning me to him. Seeing no immediate threats through the scope, I unloaded the gun, before switching it out for a shotgun. I knew what Jonathon was probably going to want to do, and it involved going inside. I didn’t even wait to reach him before addressing him. “You want to go inside, don’t you?” I deadpanned, frowning further when he nodded. “This is a terrible idea.” Jonathon ignored me and stepped through the front door. “Hello?” he called out. “If anybody lives here, we’d like to talk.” Fearing the worst of the stupid situation Jon decided to throw us into, I took position behind one of the walls, just poking the barrel of the shotgun out from behind it. Dead silence answered Jonathon’s call. He trudged slowly forward, trying again. “Hello?” I reluctantly followed Jonathon, keeping my eyes peeled. I noticed that the house was nicely decorated and clean, as if the owners had simply stepped out and would return shortly. No dust and no broken windows, among other things, hinted at the fact that someone lived here, but where were they? No sooner had I finished that thought than a man walked out from behind a wall, gun leveled at both of us. “That’s far enough you two.” Perspective: Mike Britowski Location: Royal Castle, Canterlot, Equestria Date: November 26, 2025 After a grueling amount of paperwork, red tape, and recruiting of volunteers, Celestia and Luna had finally managed to put together a regiment of royal guards to bolster our forces at the soon-to-be base. The earth ponies and the pegasi of said regiment were loading up the required materials for the makeshift base, before returning for a briefing and special lessons in fighting Infected. The unicorns were once again target practicing the new anti-Infected spell. All in all, it was another normal day at the castle’s Training Grounds. At least it would have been, if the air hadn’t been split by a deafening bang. In a secluded corner, a single .45 round ripped right through a spare armored chestpiece being used for target practice, before continuing on and plowing into the ground about 100 feet in front of said chestpiece. Two alicorns and a human stared in stunned silence as the guards rushed to see what the explosion was about. “Wow,” I said, astonished. “You let your guards run around in that?” “The armor is more than adequate enough for its purposes,” Luna replied defensively. “Our world doesn’t have weapons as dangerous as yours.” “And I understand that princess, but I’m afraid that I’m going to have to recommend higher grade stuff for the guards heading to Earth. An Infected could rip this armor to shreds with their bare hands, and any frightened or cruel human can get through it with a pistol cartridge. And that wasn’t even a round specifically designed to pierce armor; that was just standard ball ammunition!” Luna’s gaze alternated between the hole in the chestpiece, and the one in the ground. Furrowing her eyebrows, she relented. “I suppose I can see why that would be problematic. I shall order the required enchantments be performed prior to our leave.” “Thank you Luna. Also, if you could get us some sandbags, that would be great. Now, onto the real reason we’re here. You two remember your gun safety training, right?” They nodded. As the nearby guards started piling on the sandbags, Celestia and Luna withdrew their pistols from their holsters. They dropped the magazine, checked the breech to make sure it was empty, then pointed the pistols down with the safety on. “Luna, very good. Celestia, finger off the trigger, but otherwise good. Remember, if your finger is on the trigger and you get surprised for any reason, it’s all too easy to squeeze it and accidentally send a round into somebody you never meant to shoot.” “I apologize,” Celestia said. “No that’s alright; it’s why we’re practicing. Now, it looks like the sandbags are just about set up, so I’m going to set the chestpiece about fifty feet back, by the bags. You’ll each take turns shooting at the target, aiming for the center right here, ok?” They nodded. “Alright, here are some magazines loaded with live ammunition. Luna, you’re up first. Remember to line up your sight picture, and squeeze the trigger.” Luna stepped up and loaded in her magazine, before flipping off her safety and cycling the slide. “Whenever you’re ready,” I encouraged. *BANG! PING!* “Nice, nailed it on your first try Luna! Looks like you went a little low. Don’t try to compensate for the recoil by pulling the muzzle down; the bullet is long gone by the time the gun starts kicking back.” “I will keep that in mind, thank you,” said Luna, smiling as she stepped back. “Now, as an exercise, I want both of you to engage the safety and holster your gun after firing. I know it seems silly to holster your gun after every shot, but holstering and unholstering your weapon is a skill you need to have down so well, it’s second nature. Usually when drawing your weapon, it’s during a high-stress situation and you need it quick. In some cases, seconds wasted fumbling around trying to draw your gun can mean the difference between life and death. So we’re going to practice unholstering your gun a lot.” Both mares nodded, while Luna holstered her pistol. “Now Celestia, why don’t you give it a try?” Wordlessly, she stepped forward, pushing a fresh magazine into her .45 and cycling the slide. *BANG!* Unfortunately, her round missed the target entirely and sailed into the sandbags. “Don’t be afraid of it Celestia. I know this will disappear when you get more comfortable with your gun, but try to control your flinching when you squeeze the trigger.” I turned to Luna. “Alright, it’s your turn Luna.” Luna’s second round was even more impressive, scoring a hit a mere inch low from center mass. “Huzzah!” she had yelled. “No weapon is too great for the mighty Princess of the Night to wield!” Celestia’s second shot however… “Wow, uh, ok then. That statue wasn’t important, was it?” I asked, eyeing the now headless sculpture of…something. Celestia’s shot had missed the target, sailed over the sandbags, ricocheted off the stone castle walls, and flew into a garden. “Thankfully, Discord has been free of his prison for a while now, thanks to the element of kindness. A fake statue remains as a history piece.” “Well, let’s maybe grab a few more sandbags before we try that again.” Luna seemed to find that immensely amusing, while Celestia glared at us, cheeks flush with embarrassment. “No it’s ok, really. Some people, or uh, ponies require a bit…a lot more training is all. And you just uh, happen to be one of them.” The Goddess of the Sun didn’t cease her glare. Luna guffawing in the background didn’t help. Perspective: ??? Location: ??? Date: November 1, 2025 “A message from Sixty Seven?” I asked baffled. “Are you sure?” The messenger looked puzzled. “He sent me himself; I assure you the message comes directly from him.” “How peculiar,” I said, pacing slowly around the room. “How very peculiar indeed. Ever since our war with the humans began, Sixty Seven hasn’t reported anything of interest. Now all of a sudden, there’s some earth-shattering news he needs to deliver. At least I would assume so, since he personally sent you here.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. “Very well then, show it to me.” I sat down in my chair to allow the messenger access. He moved behind me, placing a hand on either side of my head. Immediately the sensory data began to play out. I was in an old warehouse of sorts, no doubt a location in Sixty Seven’s city. The room was segmented haphazardly by shelves lined with items, while boxes, crates, and miscellaneous items littered the floor. A musty smell permeated through the air, along with something else that I couldn’t quite place, perhaps the items in the boxes or on the shelves. The room was dimly lit, but it was perfect for our improved eyesight. As I watched from the perspective of this particular Pawn, I listened to the conversation Sixty Seven was having with it. Something had roused his suspicion, and he had ordered the Pawn to investigate. I frowned when the Pawn spotted the numerous bodies on the floor. “It would seem Sixty Seven has a bit of a human problem,” I mused, watching as he disciplined his Pawn for misbehaving. “There shouldn’t be any large groups left in his city though, not after this long. Perhaps they were passing through.” A metallic plinking noise caught everyone’s attention. “Oh? Are they still inside?” I watched the lonely Pawn stumble through the blinding curtain of light, searching for the illusive human. It was smart, luring the Pawn into a place where it was at a massive disadvantage. But alas, there was no human in the makeshift corridor… Or so I thought, so imagine my surprise when it was waiting just outside it, and blasted the Pawn in the neck. As it went down, I could hear it shout for his friends. I snorted in amusement. “What, does Sixty Seven need my help clearing out this pack of vermin? It would seem that the little activity he gets has made him rather weak.” The messenger however, did not stop playing the scene, so I kept watching. I nearly fell out of my seat laughing as the group attempted to tie up the Pawn, using rope no less. Perhaps this was Sixty Seven’s true purpose? “So they captured the Pawn, hoping to experiment on it to find out some cure or weakness. Little do the foolish creatures know, rope won’t hold it down, and even if it did we’re still connected to it. Messenger, show me where they took the Pawn; show me the location of their research facility.” Instead, I saw the Pawn rip free of its bindings, much to my amusement. But all that amusement, all the mirth and laughter, died the second it turned around. What stood before it was no human. This…thing was an abomination, as if a human and a horse had somehow succeeded in mating, and somehow gave their child wings and a pointed head spear as well. “What the fuck is that!?” I could hear Sixty Seven scream, mirroring my thoughts exactly. The creature built up some sort of energy, before releasing it straight at the Pawn. I expected to feel excruciating pain, to see the body crumple to the floor, something. But the transfer stopped there. “Play the rest of it,” I immediately demanded. To my continued horror, the messenger shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s all there is,” he said. “My lord was forcibly ejected from the Pawn’s stream of conscience when the blast from the Winged Unicorn Lady hit. He was unable to retrieve any more information after that, as if the Pawn just…ceased to exist altogether.” The messenger moved so that he was standing before me once again. “Few have seen this recording, but those of us that have are terrified, including, if I may be so bold as to make an assumption, Sixty Seven himself. The humans have a powerful new weapon against us now, and the way it destroys the link between Pawn and Controller so completely hints that humans may have somehow gained an understanding of our communication methods. This was the message my lord wanted to deliver.” “Tenacious bastards,” I seethed. “They just don’t know when to quit, do they?” I turned to the messenger. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. You are dismissed.” The messenger dipped his head respectfully before turning to leave. “One more thing,” the messenger said. “If you find any information on this weapon, Sixty Seven humbly requests that you let him know at your earliest convenience.” With that, the messenger departed, likely heading back to his home city. When I was sure the messenger was gone, I dropped my head into my hands. I noticed immediately that they were trembling. Heck, everything was trembling. “These fucking humans!” I shouted. It seemed that the longer they stayed alive, the harder they fought. They’ve already formed little pockets of protection that we can’t penetrate without heavy losses, and now this! What do we do about this!? In my panic, a desperate plan began to form. One of them, even just one lone human in this city, has to know what that weapon is. If I can grab all the humans left in this city, I can take their bodies under my control effortlessly, and then I just have to overpower their mental defenses and learn what they know. At least one of those idiots has to know something about this ‘Winged Unicorn Lady’! I quickly summoned two Pawns. They came minutes later, their arrival signaled by a knock on the door. “Enter.” “You called sir?” “Send a message to all Pawns; we are combing through our city again for humans. Don’t let any escape this time, capture every last one of them at all costs!” As they departed, I stood up and made my way towards the window. Peering out, I took in the scenery before me. Beyond the glass barrier laid a city, a city still partially inhabited by humans, despite my efforts to the contrary. But that was all about to change. To Hell with heavy casualties; I’m going to get some information about this weapon, and end this threat right now.