Fallout Equestria: Broken souls & kindred spirits

by Dj Scratchjack

Chapter 2: When Hell comes knocking

Chapter 2: When Hell comes knocking

"Don't tempt fate in trying to change. Your only result will be your own destruction."

As I stood there in front of the Over-Stallion office, I heard the many different keystrokes coming from the large terminal that Blitz was furiously raging over, trying to crack the securities override protocols that he apparently didn't expect to happen. The door system required three different key codes to override. The Over-stallion's, the head of Security, and a Stable-tec confirmation code. We had two of them (The security chief misplaces things a lot, so it wasn't hard to swipe the card from his desk), but the Stable-tec representative wasn't responding to Blitz's messages.

I was standing guard so nopony would get too suspicious of why the hell we were up early in the morning, running around with saddlebags laden with supplies and gear. I rolled down the sleeves of my utility barding so they cover the Pip-buck around my leg. I only saw the janitor and the nurse in the hall so far. I feared that if somepony got suspicious and we get caught, we'd be shot on the spot, Over-stallion or not. There's been stories in the past that ponies have tried this before and they found worse things than a slap on the hoof. Some ponies say they were even hanged in the atrium way back in the day to discourage other rebellious individuals of trying an attempt.

First thing this morning was filled with plans and paths and divisions or excuses if something goes awry. Blitz was to go to his office and dispatch a message to Stable-tec HQ to secure an emergency Stable opening, Sis was to "Obtain" several supplies and gear for us. And me? I was to place a temporary shutdown of the security mainframe so security didn't a message on their desk saying some pony’s being stupid. When Blitz hit a block in the system, I was to fetch the chief's card, and place a remote EMP to the Stable's Omni-lock that completely seals the Stable door from everything from dust to pestilence. So, if Blitz couldn't figure out the code, we'd pop the seal and pray to the Goddesses for some luck and hope it doesn't destroy the Stable.

Three rebellious ponies looking for adventure, playing with standards and the rules set in stone for us 200 years ago. Facing an uncertain fate once the door between us and the unknown opens.

I checked my Pip-buck for the time. We had 15 minutes before the early risers started their duties. We had to hurry. I punched the button on the office door, retracting to the interior of a pigsty. Papers and garbage was strewed across the floor. The desk was flipped over on its side. A very disgruntled pony sat in front of a large monitor, having only the words, "Override not authorized. Please input the Stable-tec override sequence codes to proceed.", flashing on the green glass.

"Blitz, we need to hurry before the others find us messing around. What’s the issue?" I asked Blitz, stepping over the junk on the ground.

Blitz shook his head. “I don't know! Stable-tec isn't replying to my messages. The system keeps locking me out, and the server just resets every time I get close to finding anything."

"Move, let me at it for a sec. Go watch the door." I pushed my older brother out of his chair, and took my place at the controls. I've done back-door work for most of the generators before, so this shouldn't be too hard. I quickly logged the maintenance override sequence into the server and plugged in the Pip-buck to find the codes for the door. No success. Apparently not all the codes were in the device. I logged the server reset maintenance code and the screen pulled up all the recent binary used in all the Stables electrical outputs. All of them. "600,798 possible reset inputs." the screen flashed. I looked through all the codes streaming past my eyes. This is a disaster.

"Hello, sir! How’s your day?" I heard an unfamiliar voice reach my ears through the door. I snapped my head back towards the door to see a blonde colored pony chatting with Blitz through the window. Oh shit. I flew over the keys, picking random codes. Nope, not that one.....Naw uh.... oh, that's the break room.....

The door slid open to reveal Blitz charging towards me. "Elric, you better hurry up. Honeycomb will be here soon." Blitz whispered. I shook my head. His secretary was one of the brightest ponies I've met. If she suspects something is up, she'd jump on that shit like apple pie. I turned back to the computer terminal and started to look through the seemly endless list of words and code to find the right one. I could feel Blitz's sweat and breath behind me getting quicker and quicker with anxiety.

Then it happened. The one word that stuck out from all the others. "Scathefire". I moved the cursor to the word and pushed the button.....

Silence. Not even an incorrect beep. Just the slight humming of the terminal. I looked at Blitz in confusion. He just shrugged.

POP!

I jerked around to see one of the monitors light up. The ones that haven't been on for years.

A dark shape came in view over the screen. I made out a few more shapes in the background that looked similar to ponies, but were too bulky to be. The screen showed a dark tunnel of rock with the first dark shape poking around on a console. The monitor brightened up and after another small pop, sounds came into play.

"Hey boss, are you sure this is it? This stable looks abandoned." A voice out of view piped up. The big, bulky dark shapes became huge iron monsters resembling ponies standing behind a dark blue unicorn with a brown and cyan mane. The blue stallion was fiddling with the console with a stoic expression.

"Yes, I'm positive. When have I ever misled you?" The blue pony spoke in a suave kind-of voice. He pushed a button and a green light came on the surface of the console. He looked up at the camera and smiled. He pushed the green light and the screen went black.

A horrible grinding noise came from outside of the office. Blitz and me looked at each other with scared expressions and leaped towards the door. I came around the corner and slammed into a familiar tan pony.

I opened my eyes to see Gasket rubbing his head. We didn't have to exchange explanations to know he was going to in such a hurry. We got up from the ground and galloped towards the atrium.

Blitz, Gasket, and I came to the atrium door to find it shut. Blitz jammed his hoof into the door release and watched the steel door fold into the niche in the ground. We walked into the atrium where almost everyone else was standing. Staring at the phenomenon that transpired in the Stable.

The giant steel door of Stable 132 lay open to a dark tunnel, no light from coming from the other end. Seven ponies stood at the entrance, six of them clad in steel armor. The dark blue pony I saw on the monitor upstairs now stood in front of me, flesh and blood. His posture showed elegance and vanity, but also very intimidating. His dark crimson red eyes showed experience and drive for achievement. He stood slightly shorter to me (most ponies do anyway) and wore a small smile on his face. His "friends" Showed no uniqueness to one other beneath those menacing looking helmets. These big robot-looking ponies flashed weapons on either side of their bodies, ranging from small caliber to one having twin cannons the size of a normal pony.

The smart-looking pony took one step forward and cleared his throat. "Hello, my fellow Equestrians. My name is Kalem. I'm here on behalf of Stable-tec for it has come to my attention that the Overseer has sent out a distress signal stating an emergency power failure. Where is the Overseer?" Kalem spoke to the crowd gathering in front of him with such a charismatic tone that I almost forgot he was an outsider.

I looked over to Blitz. He puffed up his chest and looked at me with worry-some eyes. He looked forward and trotted out amongst the gathering crowd. "Right here, sir."

"Ah. Good. Polaris?" Kalem spoke up to one of his companions. “Always start at the top." Kalem turned and walked out of the Stable door like nothing happened.

One of the steel ponies turned to face my brother. Blitz backed up a step. Polaris chuckled underneath his helmet. A shot rang through the air as Blitz went bug-eyed to the sudden shock. He looked down to the good sized hole in his chest. He looked back to me and slumped to the ground. I watched in horror as my brother laid in an enlarging puddle of his own blood.

All hell broke loose in a flash. Five of the armored ponies began to mow down the crowd with their massive weaponry. I ducked behind the jutting pipes to hide from the attackers. Screams and shrieks filled my ears as ponies ran passed me, life sprayed all over their coats. The steel freaks began to spread out to finish off the rest of the fleeing ponies. One stomped past me, chuckling as he went. I watched him turn around the corner as he spread more ammo down the corridor of screams. I peeked around the corner to check on my brother on the floor and I saw an enraging sight.

One of the metal clad ponies was knelt by my brother. His helmet laid on the floor, his white coat was covered in blood from my brother's wound as he applied pressure to it. Blitz laid on the ground groaning at the pony above him. I trotted towards them with caution, not knowing what the pony was up too. The pony looked up at me with sadness.

"P-Please... I didn't know... I didn't. I thought we were going to be diplomatic.... N-not this..." The blonde-maned pony stammered.

I reached the pair and saw the damage first-hoof. Polaris blew a hole straight through Blitz right below the heart. I looked up to the white Stallion next to me.

"Can we save him?" I shakily asked. The pony just stared at Blitz's dying body. I shook the steel-clad pony, " Is there something we can do?!"

The pony snapped out of his trance, and stood up.

“I-I think... maybe... it's worth a try!" He exclaimed. He reached down and grabbed the right leg of my brother. "Blitz, is it? Hey, we gonna get you out of here, okay?" He looked up to me and put on a grimace. "Do whatever you need quickly, the others are gonna destroy this place looking for whatever Kalem wants. I'm gonna get him outside. Meet me there." The pony turned and slung Blitz over his back, careful not to further injure him. He scooped up his helmet and placed it back on his head. He turned back to me.

"I'm sorry... I promise, I'm on your side. Go. I'll be out there, but be quick. We don't want to be here once they finish." He started towards the giant doorway.

I turned back towards the living quarters. I galloped as fast as I could towards my family's room. I jumped past bodies lying in their pooling blood, each and every one staring out into the distance in a dull look. I came around the corner to see one of the intruders standing over a cowering mare. He fired a shot, blowing her head into a grease spot on the wall. He turned towards where the screams of the dying was still in the tunnels. I galloped past the event that took place and to my family's household. I looked through the window, but all our furniture was stacked in front of it. I took to the door, but it was locked. I looked both ways to see if anyone was coming and proceeded to try and rewire my own door. As I messed around in the control box, the sounds of mares screaming and the anguishing sounds of ponies getting mowed down over some fucking stupid tech or some artifact that isn't worth all of this. Sweat beads clouded my eyesight as well as tears. A buzz and a sharp crack and the door slid open. I ran inside.

As the door slid close, I sat down hard and sobbed deeply as all the sorrows hit me at the same time.

In a puddle of blood sat my father and mother in each other’s legs. In the corner, one of the nephew's bib laid in blood and food thrown from the stove. My entire home was destroyed. I stood back up and stumbled toward the rooms. Kris laid sprawled across the ground, three holes in his chest revealing enough to make me throw up right there. I continued towards Sis's room to find her gone, along with Stardust and Dusky. The nephews stuff was missing as well. I hoped they got out safely. I continued to my room to find something unfamiliar laying on my bed.

A .45 revolver laid next to two boxes of ammo, along with a note. I grabbed the gun, the note, and my saddlebags from the ground, placed the items in the bags, and situated them onto my back. I ran back to the living room and stopped momentarily to cover up my parents and Kris with a couple blankets. I took the rest of the food and medical stuff out of the cabinets. I reached down to my father's neck and removed his black and grey checkered scarf. I shed one more tear for them as I wrapped it around my own neck.

"I promise... I promise you that he will pay... I will make him pay. Even to my last breath, I'll make him pay." I turned to the door and galloped back out, leaving my home for the last time.

I almost made it to the Atrium door before a rocket flew right past my face, blasting a blackened hole in the door.

"Where do you think you're going, Coward?" A booming voice came from behind me. I turned to see one of the attackers aiming his rocket barrels at me. “We ain't finished with you lot! Now, hold still and try to make this easy for the both of us." I pulled out the revolver and pointed at him shakily. He chuckled underneath his helmet. “What you gonna do with that? Try. Oh, please try and kill me. Makes things more interesting that way."

I closed my eyes and fired a shot. A sudden blast knocking my into the steel door snapped my eyes open as I saw the Iron pony in front of me flew into the wall as his left gun exploded. I shot the rocket inside it. The luckiest shot that I could ever do. I hurried back to my hooves in a pure adrenaline rush. A roar of anger echoed through the tunnels as the dazed pony slowly stood up.

"Y...You fucking bastard..." He groaned. I didn't wait to see what else he said. I flew through the door and locked it behind me with a buck to the door control. I scurried down the stairs and towards the gear shaped door.

A loud bang and a searing pain took me to the ground. I flipped to my back to see Polaris and another soldier standing beside him.

"Going somewhere?" Polaris sneered. He pointed his weapon and fired another shot into my rear left leg, sending another wave of pain through my body. I screamed in agony as the giant stalked over to me. "Oh, this is going to be-" He was interrupted by a wrench thrown at his head. The tool bounced off the side, leaving a little scratch on the side. Polaris slowly turned to see Gasket glaring at the pony, covered in blood like he was holding someone and teeth grinding into a kitchen knife. "YOU... MURDERER!!" screamed Gasket as he rushed Polaris. Polaris backed up a step to get a steady bead on the pony and fired. Gasket narrowly dodged the bullet as he jumped at the pony's face. He sliced at the hoses and valves on Polaris's helmet, hoping to get at the flesh inside.

"Run, Elric! GO! I rigged...the door to close in a few seconds! GO! NOW!" shouted my friend. Polaris's buddy came and smashed his rear hoof into the side of Gasket's flailing body as Polaris tried to buck him off his face.

I grunted as I stood up a limped towards the door, from a small step to a trot to a hopping trot as I heard hoofsteps approaching. I looked back to see Polaris standing over Gasket as he bore down on his head, smashing it into the ground. Gaskets last expression was one of complete fear as his face was grounded into the cold metal floor. One slight shift and my friend was gone.

My vision became blurry as pain and the death around slowly came to me. I pushed myself through the door way as it started to slide closed. I watched as the monster of the invaders roared as the door sealed him away from the last survivor of Stable 132. I continued towards the dimming light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. I slumped up against the wall as I came to a dim lantern. I sat down as I checked how my wounds were doing. It came back as frightening as I could imagine. I lost too much blood. I saw a trail leading back towards the stable and a slightly dried one continuing on. I closed my eyes and sighed. I was going to die here. I knew it. I fell over as my last remaining strength gave way under the blood loss and trauma I endured. I tried to open my eyes, but at no avail.

Silence over took me as I laid there on the cold rock. I would never finish out my recent promise to my parents. I would never see the outside.

I drifted off to unconsciousness as I heard a faint scraping sound behind me...

Comments

[TheLuckyKrash]

Pretty good so far, my only beef is....I want another chapter! No need to rush though, I just curious to where the story leads.