Previous Chapters Next
Close
Patriotism1,647 words
Informed Consent1,249 words
Why We Fight1,458 words
The Men of Steel. These Men of Power1,451 words
Inside Job1,250 words
Protocol Ag471,445 words
Don't Think I'm A Monster.1,223 words
Flint1,633 words
Message From Home1,269 words

Inside Job

"Start with your real name," the Doctor said sternly.

"N'Zeera," the Changeling said.

"Why're you here?" Applejack snapped.

"We got wind that Obsidian Daedalus was going to make a new weapon to wipe us out with," N'Zeera said dryly. "What do you think?"

"You said you didn't attack Black Horn Bay," the Doctor went on. "If you didn't, who did?"

"Daedalus," N'Zeera said frankly. "We thought it may have been a government operation, at first. Hive and Minos had been in a cold war for years. Each one of us wanting to fire the first shot. We all expected it to turn hot at any moment. And then..."

"Why would Mister Daedalus kill his own people to start a war nopony wanted?" Applejack asked sternly. "That don't make a lick of sense!"

"She raises a good point," the Doctor agreed. "Why would he do this? For the money?"

Then N'Zeera looked down as if ashamed of what she was about to tell the Doctor. "You know? I really wish it was that cut-and-dry. I really wish he was just the kind of money-grubbing waste of space willing to kill just to add another swimming pool to their golden money palace. It would make all of this so much easier. I might be able to walk through a foreign country undisguised."

The Doctor lowered the Sonic Screwdriver. "Who did he lose?"

"His wife and son," N'Zeera sighed. "Some damn fool claiming he was leading Hive back to the 'Golden Age'. Or as the rest of us call them, 'The Dark Ages'. The time of Chrysalis and R'Stame. When we were villains, and why everyone treats us like villains."

N'Zeera spat at the ground. "I hate him!!" she screamed. "I hate that murderer! For what he did to an innocent child, and what he did to my country! I can't blame Daedalus for losing his sense, after losing his family! This war is his fault! And I've never been happier than when I learned that he didn't make it out of this buil-"

The Doctor slapped N'Zeera across the face.

There was a silence. The only one who wasn't close to tears was the Doctor.

"Never," the Doctor started slowly. "Never say that to me again. Try not to think it. I don't care what happened. I don't care if this man is the worthless pathetic psychopath he seems to be. No one, no one deserves to die. Not him. Not Daedalus's son. Not Flint. Not any of the poor ten thousand souls who gave their lives to fight for the wrong purpose. So never say you're happy to see someone dead in front of me. Do you understand?"

Applejack was silent. Unsure if she respected or feared this side of the Doctor.

N'Zeera was tearing up. "My people are dying Doctor," she said weakly. "We had gotten so close..."

"Close to what?" Applejack asked.

"Close to remaking the Changeling's image," the Doctor reasoned. "That was the end goal, wasn't it?"

N'Zeera slowly nodded.

"I-I don't..." Applejack was still confused.

"They're a parasitic race, AJ," the Doctor explained. "They feed on love. They can't help it, it's just how they evolved. Every species has a right to survive. They decided, somewhere down the road, to feed in the nicest way possible. By earning the love to feed off of. That's it, isn't it? You became one of the most helpful countries on this world. Aiding with monsters, helping struggling economies, all so you could come by the affection your race needed honestly. Good on you! I'll bet it worked for a while too..."

"And now," N'Zeera finished. "After the attack on Black Horn Bay it's all dried up. It's gone. We give what we have to our children but it means losing our own. At this rate we'll have to become parasites again. I won't let that happen. My people are starving Doctor..."

The Changeling looked at the Doctor with a truly helpless face. "Please... Help us."

The Doctor burst into a very wide grin. "Oh N'Zeera..." the Doctor said happily. "You just said the magic words!!"

The Doctor immediately leaped into action, using his Sonic on the door.

"What're you doin'?" Applejack asked frantically.

"Something to the door!" the Doctor said gleefully. "I'm not entirely sure what. Listen, we have three very important very difficult things to do. One, get out of this room. Two, get into Daedalus's office and find something in it that will expose him. Three, deal with the ten thousand Cybermen in the basement of this building."

"Easier said than done," N'Zeera said.

"Yes!" the Doctor smiled. "Isn't everything? But we have several advantages! First off is this!" He pulled the red satin bag out of his waistcoat pocket and threw it to N'Zeera, who promptly caught it and opened it.

"Gold dust?" she asked.

"The vents on their chests," the Doctor explained. "The only element that can clog that filter is gold. Throw that into the vent if we get entangled with them. At least that's how it worked with the Cybermen I met before."

"He met Cybermen before? How?" N'Zeera asked Applejack.

"Wibbly-Wobbly...Timey-Wimey...," Applejack said weakly.

"You know what else we've got?" the Doctor said gleefully. "We've got three brilliant minds in one room. I'm assuming you're brilliant, N'Zeera don't disappoint. We've got the truth. We've got my Screwdriver. Best of all we have right on our side! What has Daedalus got, eh?"

"Ten thousand Cybermen in the basement," Applejack said dryly.

"Yes that," the Doctor all of a sudden looked very, very worried. "And he's got one more much worse thing that I didn't take the time to consider until now. I really should have before we had that whole conversation. Two seconds of thought would have done it, but no I have to be so bloody thick."

"What?" N'Zeera asked firmly. "What has Daedalus got?"

"Security cameras in every room in this building."

"Very good, Doctor," came Daedalus's voice over the PA. "I was wondering when you'd come to that conclusion."

The three fillies were cowered in a corner with the Minotaur children and the matron. They didn't understand what was going on. They heard the metal men clank up the halls. They were everywhere now. Two of them were standing outside the door.

They only said one thing to them. One thing to explain what was going on.

"Security protocol Ag47 is in effect. Disobey and you shall be deleted."

1,446 views