Chapter Twenty-Six
Unity
Chapter Twenty-Six
Bert Gumbal peered out from behind the cover of the forest underbrush, down into the Mor-tax camp. With him were his dog Shadow, Sheriff Tucker, Virgil, Sword Breaker, and Lyra. The pit was silent, and here and there the decaying bodies of dead aliens could be seen. Also visible were bodies of a number of the creatures they had used for food, also all dead. An abundance of red-leaved plants from the Mor-tax planet were growing all around the perimeter of the pit, and while these were still alive they looked wilted and unhealthy.
"Should we proceed?" Sword Breaker asked.
"It's been a month since G'drik died. I doubt there are any survivors by now." Bert said. "Still, let's be cautious. I'd hate to die to a last survivor."
"Or to a local predator lured in by the carrion." Tucker agreed.
Weapons at the ready, attention focused for any sign of danger, the survey team crept out of hiding and down into the pit. They were looking for any materials or technology that might be of use for the town, or in the construction of an airship for the expedition planned for spring. It was now nearly a month since the big reveal of the Magicite batteries, and with the new power source for the town half-completed and the harvests nearly finished, time and manpower were at last available for other projects, such as this one.
As they reached the bottom of the sloping edge of the pit, Lyra looked around and softly said "Something's missing."
"What? What do you mean?" Virgil asked.
"When we left before, back when they were setting up weapons along the outer edges of the pit," Lyra said, "I counted twenty of the heat rays. I only count twelve of them now."
"Maybe they took them back to use on something else." Bert suggested.
Nodding, Sword Breaker said "Yeah. I bet we'll find them in one of the bunkers, attached to some half-finished new tripods or something."
"Maybe..." Lyra said. She had a funny feeling the actual answer was one they wouldn't like.
"Well, let's do what we came here for." The Sheriff said. Breaking into two teams, they began to explore. Bert, Lyra, and Shadow took the western half of the pit, Tucker, Virgil, and Sword Breaker the east. Each group carried a radio in case of trouble.
For a little more than two hours, Bert and Lyra looked through empty buildings, stepping widely around the bodies that littered the area, once quietly tip toeing the long way around to avoid a local creature feasting on a Mor-tax. They found materials a plenty; large sheets of metal alloys, rolls of wire, even a rack filled with what Bert suspected were some type of bombs, though there were no controls in evidence.
As they were preparing to examine the high antennae at the center of the pit, the radio crackled. "Bert, Lyra, you there?"
"We're here Sheriff." Lyra answered, holding the device in a magic aura. "Is everything okay?"
"We're fine, but the rest of it depends on how you mean okay... I don't suppose you found any of those missing heat-rays?"
"No, not a one." Lyra replied. "Did you find any of them?"
"Negative." Tucker answered back.
Bert said "Then, it sounds like someone else beat us to the scavenging."
"Exactly." The sheriff said. "And I'm pretty sure we know who. We're just outside the largest bunker on our side. Get over here, you need to see this..."
xx
Ten minutes later, Bert and Lyra were standing with the others, looking down onto a badly decomposed alien body. "What are we looking at?" Lyra asked. "What's so special about this one?"
Virgil said "It's hard to see without a trained eye for it, given how badly the body is decayed. But look right here..." He used the barrel of his rifle to point out a particular spot on the body. "That's a bullet wound. From a human-manufactured assault rifle."
"There are also other Mor-tax inside the bunker with the same wounds." Sword Breaker said.
"So... what does this mean?" Lyra asked. "Are we saying other humans killed them?"
Bert said "What we're saying, I think, is that Carl Harner and his people have been here. They killed the few aliens that were still able to put up a fight when they came, then looted the place for weapons."
"So the extremist-nutballs have death rays now." Virgil shook his head. "Wonderful."
"How long have they had them though?" Lyra wondered. "This guy looks like he's been dead quite awhile."
Tucker nodded. "Good question. It seems like this must have happened at least a couple of weeks ago. So why haven't they made a move?"
"Maybe they can't figure out how to work them?" Sword Breaker said.
"Or maybe they're just using them for defense." Lyra suggested.
"That could be..." Tucker agreed. "After all, they are kind of big to haul around without mechanized support. Hell, I'm wondering how they even got them from here to their settlement."
Further discussion on the question was curtailed when a voice from above called out "Hello!" Looking up, the group saw a gryphon descending towards them. "Sorry to cut your mission short," Gerolt said as he landed, "But Twilight asked me to come and warn you; It's probably a good idea to get back to town as quickly as possible."
"Why? What's happened?" the sheriff demanded.
"Long story short, there's a blizzard descending fast from the mountain peaks, and I guess the pegasus weather control has reached it's breaking point. The storm's heading right for us all."
"Damn." Bert swore.
"We knew it was a risk. At least the harvests were over ninety-five percent finished." Tucker said. He turned to Gerolt, thanking him for the warning, then as the Gryphon took to the sky and flew back towards Shetland Crossing he said "Let's get moving."
What about the Mor-tax weapons?" Lyra asked.
"It'll just have to keep..."
XXXX
Back in Unity, the streets were a mad scramble of humans and ponies rushing to gather supplies and make ready before the blizzard arrived. Already the high storm clouds were filling the northern horizon from east to west, darkening the formerly bright blue sky. There were as yet no winds, but everyone knew this was the calm before the storm.
Worse, as was unbeknownst to Sheriff Tucker and his team, Cloud Kicker's concerns had not been empty; The meeting of cold winter air with the magically warmed air around Unity and it's farm lands was poised to make a bad situation even worse. Far more than a mere blizzard, this would be the storm to end all storms.
As the calm began to give way to cold winds, as the storm clouds mounted ever closer, Rainbow Dash flew through the town, searching for Twilight. She found her at the base of the half-completed magicite battery, a scarf around her neck, seemingly oblivious to what was coming. "Twilight! Come on!" Dash shouted. "We've gotta get indoors!"
"I can't leave now!" Twilight insisted.
"Yo, egghead!" Dash grabbed her friend and turned her around to face the storm. "See that? You'll freeze to death if you stay out here!"
"And if I don't finish this and get power to the town people will freeze in their homes!"
"Nah, everyone's sheltering in places that already have power. Now are you gonna come on your own or do I have to carry you?"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Try me." Rainbow hovered in front of Twilight, forelegs crossed.
As the first flakes of snow began to fall, both ponies were distracted by a voice calling out for help. Following the sound, they quickly found a human woman collapsed on the ground. Rainbow rolled her over, and jumped back in shock: The woman's features were marred by countless sores, lesions, and growths. "W... What's happened to her!? Is it some kind of disease?"
"I don't know." Twilight answered. "But we've got to get her to the doctors." The unicorn carefully lifted the mystery woman in her magic and galloped away, Rainbow following close behind, as the snow fell harder...
XXXX
In spite of the lack of power, the Apple family had chosen to ride out the storm at home. They had plenty of food stored up, after all, and a whole winter's worth of firewood chopped and ready. "And besides," Granny Smith had said, "Not like we get t' spend much time together anymore anyways."
And so out had come the sweaters, the hot cocoa, and the board games. Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Granny settled in and it was only then, with the sudden rush of preparing for the storm over, that the youngest Apple realized "Hey! Where's Mac?"
"They wanted the counsel t' stay at town hall." Applejack said. "Mac's stuck there for the duration."
"Aw, boo."
"Yep, I know. We all miss him." Applejack ruffled her little sister's mane. "But he's got a job 't do, least ways 'til they decide t' start having elections or something."
Apple Bloom sighed. "I wonder if he misses us?"
Applejack was about to say that she was sure he did, when Granny Smith spoke first. "Oh, I'm sure he's happy with his marefriend there!"
"Granny!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Marefriend?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Well, yeah... Bloom, I think Mac and miss Beth are gettin' a lot closer than you've noticed."
Apple Bloom's eyes went wide. "You mean they're having-" She was cut off by a hoof pressed to her mouth.
"Maybe not that far yet..." Applejack said with a blush showing through her coat. "Wait a minute, how d' you even know about that at your age?"
"Health class at school."
"Huh... Sounds like I've got me some teachers t' buck in the face..."
xx
Meanwhile, across town, the couple in question were staring out an upstairs window of the town hall as the snow began to fall. "Gonna be a bad one." Mac said.
"Yeah. I hope someone's got a plan for plowing out the main roads."
"I guess they've saved some fuel for your snowplow trucks." Mac replied. "Though all they're gonna try to clear is the town center. I hope everyone got someplace safe and warm... Reckon it'll be a week or more before some folks can get back out."
"I know. at least we've got fliers, once the storm is past."
"Yep. Tell you what though, I hope Miss Twilight gets that battery finished before the next storm. I'd feel a lot better if I knew everyone had heat." Mac turned to look when he heard a door opening.
"Heat could be a worry." John Tucker said as he entered. "As in heat-rays." He explained what had been found at the Mor-tax encampment.
"Those weapons, in the control of people that we can't just wait out until they get sick..." Bethany mused.
"Exactly." Tucker agreed. "I'd say we're safe 'til this weather is passed. But we'd probably better get some contingency plans ready."
"Let's get everyone together first thing in the morning." Mac said. "We'll see about scouting them out to see what they've got, then proceed from there."
Bert, who had came in with the Sheriff, said "Like getting a couple of those weapons here for ourselves. We could mount them on the wall, it'd make a great discouragement."
"And now, well, right after the storm, might be the best time to move them, y'know, but together some skiffs, pull them over the smooth snow." Bethany suggested.
"Good. I'll see what I can cobble together." Bert nodded, excusing himself.
"I'd better go too." Tucker said. "I wanna get back to the station before this gets any worse."
Alone again in Macintosh's office, the couple snuggled in close together. "I'm sorry you had to stay here instead of with your family." Bethany said, "But if you had to, I'm glad I'm here too."
"Eeyup. Not much t' do though, so long as nothing comes up."
Bethany grinned. "I can think of a few things to do..."
XXXX
Twilight Sparkle looked back and forth between the doctors and the written report they had handed her on the mystery patient. Read and reread the diagnosis. She and Rainbow had been waiting outside the woman's room, also quarantined until they knew what was wrong, for several hours. And while the results were good news in one way, they weren't infected with anything, it was bad news in most other ways:
"Radiation sickness!?" Twilight exclaimed.
"She's not radioactive herself, but yes." Doctor Whooves replied. "This woman has been exposed to something extremely radioactive, and she's showing all the symptoms of severe radiation sickness. We're treating her with healing magic and she should fully recover in time, save for the long-term risk of cancers."
The human doctor, Arthur Mc.Tavish, added "Obviously, we need to know what she was exposed to, where, when, and why. But the magic is keeping her in a healing coma for now. Probably for the best, all things considered; the pain she would be in is unthinkable. But it means we'll have to wait until her treatments are finished before we can learn any more."
"Have you figured out who she is?" Rainbow asked.
Mc.Tavish shook his head. "She's in too bad a shape to recognize even if she is from here in town. And we didn't find any identification. But, I would assume she must be from Fallow Meadows."
"Maybe, maybe not." Twilight mused. "For all we know whatever bought us here has been busy again."
"Possible. In any case, the good news is that there's no reason to keep anyone in quarantine. You're both free to go... Assuming you're able to go anywhere in this weather."
Twilight looked out a window, to where the snow was already at least six inches deep. "I think we can make it back to the library." She said.
"Yeah, that's where most of our friends are waiting." Rainbow added. "I bet they're worried sick by now."
"Can't have that." Doctor Whooves smiled. "Go. Shoo. I'll send a runner if anything changes..."
xx
"Should we go looking for them?" Silver Spoon asked Fluttershy. They were among those who had taken shelter at Golden Oaks, and were beginning to worry about their missing friends.
"Not quite yet." Fluuttershy smiled warmly. "They both know how to take care of themselves after all."
"You know it!" Scootaloo cheered. "Nothing can stop Rainbow Dash!"
Fluttershy chuckled. "You're probably right."
"I hope so." Sweetie Belle said, standing up on her hind legs to peer out the window, "It's really coming down out there! It looks like Hearth's Warming season."
"Hey yeah! That's a good point Sweetie!" Scootaloo said. "We've had Nightmare Night, and it's winter... When are we gonna have Hearth's Warming?"
"I don't know." Fluttershy admitted. "Rarity, Spike, have you heard anything?"
"Not as such." Rarity answered.
Spike said "I think the humans have a holiday that's celebrated in kinda-sorta the same way. Maybe they're trying to schedule them together, or apart, on purpose."
With a sudden blast of cold air and snow the front door opened, admitting Twilight and Rainbow. "What's that saying?" Rainbow shuddered, teeth chattering, "Brass monkeys?"
"Yeah. No kidding." Twilight answered.
"Actually, I think the saying is 'Where have you two been!?'" Rarity exclaimed.
"Sorry. We had a delay." Twilight shook herself, throwing snow everywhere. "I'll tell you about it once we're warm."
"If we ever are again. Seriously, it's horrible out there." Rainbow said.
"I'll get you both some warm tea." Fluttershy said.
"And I'll get the mop." Spike groused, staring at the mess of melting snow on the floor.
"Oops. Sorry Spike." Twilight grinned sheepishly.
XXXX
The howling blizzard didn't relent for four days. By the time it was over, more than forty inches of snow had fallen, making drifts that reached twenty feet in places. Workers, bundled in heavy winter gear, set to the business of clearing snow. The highest priority was of course the roofs; no one wanted any buildings collapsing. Consequently, it was another two days before most people could get out of the places they had sheltered in.
It was also on that day Twilight Sparkle responded to a letter from Doctor Whooves, calling her back to the clinic. She was met by a number of others the doctor had summoned; John Tucker, Bert, the Bakker brothers, Macintosh and the rest of the council, and her fellow element bearers.
Most of them had no idea of what Twilight and Rainbow had found, and in turn Twilight didn't know about the disturbing discovery at the Mor-tax camp. Information was exchanged, and the doctor informed them that the patient was surprisingly already awake, and asking to speak with whoever was in charge. He led them to her room.
As they quietly entered the room, the woman turned to face everyone. She was still unrecognizable, but the sores were closing up, and growths shrinking. Looking across the crowd, eyes eventually focusing on Twilight, she said "I thought you'd kill us all. And now instead it looks like you'll be my salvation."
"Marianne!?" Nigel exclaimed.
"Yes, it's me. I know, I've looked better."
"So, you are from Fallow Meadows then?" Twilight asked.
"I left town with Carl Harner and his people." Marianne said. "I thought it was best. Now... Now, I don't know."
"Let's focus can we?" Sheriff Tucker said. "What happened?"
"We got too curious for our own good... Last month, Carl came back to town very excited. He told us about what you had discovered; the circular pattern to how kidnapped towns get dropped here. He said that if we could get to the center of the circle, we could find what was responsible..."
"We think the same thing."
Marianne nodded. "Yes, but Carl is more militant about it than I expect you are. He wants to force the issue. Go there, find who or what did it, and force it to send us all home through violence or the threat of it. Of course, it's not likely that anything powerful enough to do this to us would be threatened by a few rifles and shotguns..."
"Son of a bitch!" Bert exclaimed. "That's why you took the heat-rays isn't it?"
"You figured that out eh? Yes, we took them. Took a rebuilt tripod machine too, Carl figured he could drive the thing to the center. I'm not sure how well that'll work though, he had the devil's own time trying to learn the controls..." With a sigh, Marianne slowly laid back on her bed, pulled up the covers. "Forgive me, I'm better but not well... Very tired..."
"That's okay." Macintosh said. "But, about the radiation...?"
"Right... Like I said, we got too curious... Wanted to see what was powering the heat rays, so we opened one of them up."
Twilight face hooved. "They're nuclear, aren't they?" she asked.
"That or something like it..." Marianne said. "The core was built around a lump of some kind of metal. All I know is, we all got sick, really fast. Please, I don't know if there's still time or not, but can you help the others like you've helped me?"
xx
Gathered outside Marianne's room after she had fallen asleep, the group discussed how best to proceed. "We can't just leave them to die." Fluttershy whispered. "We've got to help them out somehow."
"I agree." Tucker said. "But can we risk it? What if the whole site is irradiated? I don't want our own people getting exposed even if we can cure them."
"The high school physics lab has a gieger counter." Reginald said.
Twilight nodded. "That's good. We could take it along, be able to safely avoid any dangerous places."
"Aw, who needs that? Isn't there some kind of unicorn radiation-shield spell?" Rainbow asked.
"Not as such, no." Twilight replied.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Bert said. "How is anyone but some pegasai even getting there through all this snow?"
"Flutters and I could tow a cart through the air." Rainbow said. "I figure we could carry maybe three of you that way."
"Yes, I'd be willing to do that." Fluttershy agreed.
"We'd have to ferry in doctors." Nigel said. "Probably unicorn doctors for casting the healing spells, take care of the sick on site, if there's a safe place to do so, or otherwise ferry the sick back here a couple at a time."
"I'll help either way." Doctor Whooves said.
"Good." Bert said, "But what about the other risk? What if they start shooting?"
"I doubt any of them are healthy enough right now to do much of anything." The doctor replied. "Assuming anyone there is still alive at all."
"The sooner we do this, the better the odds." Reginald said.
"Right. So let's get moving..."
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You have acquired the death ray.
You have no lab or tools.
You open the death ray.
Da-nah-nah-naaa!
You got the RADIATION POISONING
Stupid people doing stupid things. Darkly amusing.
6250477
i totally hear that "stuff found" tune from Zelda there.
... You know, is everybody who has different opinions going to get fucked royally by fate, I mean sure, 'cult obsession' and 'militant xenophobia' are hardly good choices in the first place, but so far one of them had managed to get severe radiation poisoning from opening a weapon up, and another was unlucky enough to have Blueblood as their leader.
It seems that your either nice and working together, or fate comes down and gives you a royal bitchslap...
Also-
Sure, because teachers doing their job is SO wrong -__-
Sorry, but I came across a fic that had the worse example of not telling the Ponyville filly and colt population what the birds and the bee's were and that ended in a LOT more awkward situations afterward, it's either they learn the idea of sexual intimacy and how babies are made now, or they can find out later from experimenting, WITHOUT knowing the consequences as such.
Anywho, the future looks like it's going to be 'save the idiots', and unfortunately our guys are the good ponies and people that have to save even assholes because it's the right thing.
Seriously Carl you went and screwed with alien technology and you thought it would end any other way? I am almost positive that everyone over at his camp is dead not only from the radiation but also that blizzard probably did them in as well.
Oh, I figured something like this would happen, those idiots! XD hehehe.
Nice job!
6230276
Cuz life of pi?
Actually since radiation is just light of a different frequency and we have seen plenty of light altering and illusion spells there is no reason why ther shouldn't be a magic shield against radiation.
6250521 As you said, they went with poor survival choices. Their failure to survive is not terribly surprising.
My issue is it's all too convenient. These people, defined by their stubbornness and unwillingness to accept the changes in Unity, have shown incredibly little stubbornness at actually holding to their convictions.
6250521 Well its more like by isolating themselves they felt the need to rush things further to gain an edge over the much larger unity and the more powerful force that got them all here. As such they found themselves in a more dangerous position and as a group of generally like minded individuals their were fewer voices of opposition to any ideas that came up. That kind of situation is far more likely to result in backfires.
Not to mention militant xenophobia and cult followings are far less likely to attract the educated who would be more cautious with new tech.
In any case I suspect the whole town of Fallow meadows will receive THE DARWIN AWARD! Yes sir the Darwin Award, even should they survive this bout with radiation it is quite probable (barring magical treatment) that their reproductive processes have been all but screwed over. Thus ensuring the betterment of humanity by making sure their foolishness is not further passed down to future generations.
6250921
Classic strawman, stubborn as a mule until it is convenient for them, or their life's are in danger, on the plus side, it's keeping to the theme in some of Lauren Faust's work.
6250935
... How very Nazi logic of you.
Take away the potential birth of any disagreeable humans and somehow that translates into a completely cooperative species? Sorry man, when there are people, there will be disagreements, and there will be differing opinions, Carl might be a idiot strawman, but unfortunately we have to all agree that there would definitely be THAT guy in every group that feels the need to be difficult.
And even if it was passed through genetics, we still have militant xenophobic that could corrupt them in the future, who's to say they aren't going to hold grudges even after being saved?
Sounds like the winter we had in 2013 here in Canada
Yeah, I could see nothing good coming from opening an alien death ray in the kind of conditions they had. The risk far outweighed the gains...
6250837 Gamma radiation is just light, so they could block that. Alpha and beta not so much.
20-12 = not a pleasant number. Especially when the unit is "unaccounted-for death rays".
6250969 I'm hoping Carl stays interesting. Back at first contact, I found him a very believable scared and lashing out type. Riding that into militant xenophobia is also fairly believable, but it made him much less interesting.
I always read paragraphs featuring him in the richest, most bombastic, hammiest, hillbilly hobo with a shotgun voice I can manage. Then I read his lines in the same voice, so it turns it into the self-narrating adventures of a zealot with a screw loose. Always good for a laugh.
6251351
Well I frankly lost all faith in him when it came to the moment he fully split from the group, when Blueblood proclaimed he was king, and RIGHT there, no time at all, he KNEW it! Like, the fuck?
I like this story, it is incorporating a lot of different features and awesome species and all, but it's because of a ten second scene, of Carl looking at a crazed unicorn spewing he was the king that made him finally go rouge?
Sorry, that scene was stupidly clunky and out of place, he goes to the bathroom, comes back and 'I knew they were evil, I KNEW IT!'
It's something out of a sit-com and hammered crudely into a serious edge, I knew he had a hair trigger but COME ON!
6251168 Blocking alpha radiation is trivial. Beta is a bit harder, but you're still looking at some pretty simple solutions. Gamma's what you break out the lead lederhosen for.
6251383 It honestly read more like a fairly typical conspiracy nut to me. Stupid, yes, but fully within believable limits of folly.
6251168 No, no, NO. Gamma radiation is the most dangerous kind of radiation. Yes, it's just a photon, but that makes it MORE penetrating, not less. Gamma radiation requires either lead sheeting or massive amounts of material to stop. Beta radiation (free neutrons) and alpha radiation (helium nuclei) are much less dangerous- alpha rays can be stopped by ordinary clothing.
6250837 Gamma radiation is extremely energetic light- it's the uppermost end of the electromagnetic spectrum. It's possible that magic simply can't shrug off that much energy in such tiny packages.
6251456
Which is ironic, since the actual conspiracy nut managed to become the sole diplomat for the ponies as well. I suppose I should applaud the writer for the role reversal on a deputy who swore to protect the lives of his citizens and an originally lonesome, rip off of Bert Gummer who lives in the forest with his dog.
... Seriously, the ways humans are written in fiction, we have to wonder when it will reach a point of self fulfilling prophecy.
6251168 Well, alpha and beta radiation are particles. Particles would be blocked by one of the standard bubble shields we have seen so often in MLP.
6251490
Well, The dark magic we have seen in the crystal empire episodes seems to completely shallow light. Otherwise a non materialistic spell could not appear black. If something manages to completely shallow normal photons
i don't see why it shouldn't do so with energetic ones.
6251567 Possibly, depending on how a writer might want to do it, for the same reason a plywood wall will stop a basketball but not a bullet.
6251658 Well, yeah, but that's just a question of kinetic energy. And particles have way less kinetic energy than even basketballs.
Actually there is something like that in the show - the health-bubble thing Cadence used to keep Discord's germs away during the episode he was sick. If it can selectively keep out harmful microbes and stuff, it should be able to keep out radiation just as well.
6251695
Except that gamma rays are energy, not matter, which passes through their bubble shields, and much more energetic than the usual photons their light-affecting spells are used to dealing with.
Well, did the ponies unlock the secrets of the atom? No? Then why would they have anti-rad spells?
There's nothing wrong with being educated. In fact, it would be harmful to stay uneducated of such knowledge.
6251483
Um, beta radiation is free electrons. Free neutrons are neutron radiation, which is about as nasty as gamma radiation.
6252382
Yes, you're right. What has AJ upset here isn't what's been taught, it's the age it's been taught at. You wanna get to kids while they're still young enough to not be experimenting, sure. But 7 and 8 years old might be a bit soon. 10-11 seems like a better bet to me.
The plot thickens.
Ok I was just casually rereading this chapter and did Beth and Big Mac just get lucky?! It would be kinda funny if she got pregnant because of "magic" and having to explain all this to everyone. Plus I see Big Mac as being the sort of stallion who would be getting her a ring pretty darn quick when he finds out. Looking forward to see what comes of this little encounter.
"Caaaaaaarlll, there is radiation poisoning everywhere!"
"Oh, hey, uh, how did that get there..."
"Tell me what happened, Carl."
"Well, I was at the alien base," "Yes?" "And they had their death rays, so we took a few of them," "Yeeees?" "And I kinda got curious as to what was inside," "Yeeeeees?" "So, I took a rock, and opened one!"
6254174
Caaaaarl! That kills people!
("What happened to the plutonium?"
"What's that?"
"The plutonium! Why is it missing?"
"Well, I kind of... cooked it up. And ate it.")
6253681
For the time being, intentionally ambiguous. Will that keep? You'll just have to wait and see.
6253681 I'm pretty certain granny would nab a shotgun and organize the first equestrian shotgun-marriage.
6251168
Other way around, actually. You can block alpha and beta radiation with a sheet of paper. It's gamma rays that need lead shielding
Hey, Kieva. I've just read through this story over the last few days and I quite like the concept, of taking a bigger group of beings and transport them to a large unknown with other beings in the same situation. It's a bit like the story "Quantum Castaways" just on a bigger scale.
Anyhow I'd like to ask a question about this story: where is the explanation about the ponies eating meat/fish?
I could've missed it but do tell anyway. I can understand why pegasi would eat fish as they are part bird, but what about the other pony races? (even if they share ancestry).
Also where would they get the meat/fish? I've not heard of any bigger body of water except the possible sea quite far away, and yes I'm aware of the fact that the humans have livestock but shouldn't the ponies shun the thought of eating say cow? In equestria cows are intelligent per the show and to try and eat a small critter would end up with a fuming, literal death staring Fluttershy at your porch, ergo not a good idea.
So if you could take the time to explain it, here or in a chapter I would very much appreciate it
Now on another note: if Beth and Mac have sex and gets kids, would the kidsbe centaurs?
Also, really good story, please provide more
6258278
I've not really explained it in detail in the story itself, but:
1: In Greek mythology the pegasus was a fish eater. Hence the reference specifically to pegasai fishers.
2: Though they never hunt, of course, even real-life equines will happily eat meat if it's offered to them.
3: General assumption: Anything at or approaching human-level intelligence is going to be carnivorous
or omnivorous. Big powerful brains require insane amounts of energy to run; our brains are only 2-3
percent of our mass, but consume in excess of 30% of the oxygen and glucose we consume. Only the
practice of hunting justifies that kind of thing. Pure herbivores consume food that just sits there, doesn't
run, doesn't hide, doesn't fight back, doesn't have to be outwitted.
4: Assumption: Ponies consume far less animal protein than the average human, most of it in the form
of eggs and dairy products. The meat they eat is mostly fish and poultry. Of course, in Unity, the human
meat intake is limited to those sources too: cows are too valuable for milk to kill.
Regarding Beth and the possibility of pregnancy: I will have Twilight explain this in detail if I decide to have
it happen. But basically: When two ponies of different types have a foal, the foal is always a pure breed of
one parent's race or the other, tending towards the mother. (The Cakes both have mixed ancestry, but the
odds of what happened with Pound and Pumpkin was still vanishingly small.) When a pony and a non
pony have a child, the odds strongly favor a pure breed of one race or the other, but hybrids can happen.
Beth and Mac odds: 45% Human. 40% Pony. 15% Hybrid.
Rarity and Spike odds: 45% Pony. 40% Dragon. 15% Hybrid.
Carl is more annoying here than Carl in The Walking Dead Season Two!
I would just leave the ass-holes where they are and let them rot. If Carl wandered off in that walking contraption then returns to his camp full of either dead or worse missing people he is going to go ballistic and start shooting at anything that moves.
Radioactivity. Always pleasant stuff, getting your genes scrambled like eggs.
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In ice land, herds of horses get offered salted fish, in a barrel, to get them through winter, and they happily eat the fish like it was a treat, and no they don't get sick of it.
While I know this story takes place (at latest) before season 3 in regard to the starting point, I'm wondering if you're either planning on incorporating any of the character background building that's taken place in season 5 or if you've set the plot in stone to ensure a perfectly cohesive storyline. I ask for three reasons.
1.) No Bon Bon/Sweetie Drop in Lyra's life? D:
2.) What are the Flower Sisters doing? Seeing what freaks them out, what doesn't, and seeing their friends in Unity could be a fun side plot.
3.) In Amending Fences it's stated Lyra was technically friends with Twilight in Canterlot pre-season 1 (if only in the sense they hung out). Is this still the case?
Ooh ooh Mr. Author! Idea!
Since the Mor-tax has heat rays, would it be possible for the folk of Unity to find a way to power them slightly, not enough to kill, but produce a good amount of heat, and have a brigade of snow-melters? I remember an IRL thing, someplace in Russia uses freakin' JET ENGINES to melt the snow off the streets.
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The existence of Mules might mess your figures up a little.
If I remember the book, the Victorians tried to investigate one of the heat rays and how it was powered. It did not end well.
Could well have been radiation sickness rather than an explosion. And Henri Becquerel only made the initial discoveries that led to an understanding of radioactivity in 1896, the year after War of the Worlds was written (or started, it wasn't actually published until 1897). If set in 189x, is unlikely that contemporary scientists would even realise what was happening, only that opening the casing of a heat ray triggered a terrible illness in those exposed.
Well that ended badly for Carl (good riddance) and his increasingly insane plans. You don't open up anything powered unless you have some kind of protection.
Hope that Unity party can still save some people there. Unless Carl had gone crazier and attacked anyone with his new tripod.
In Soviet Russia, pony rides you