Chapter Twenty-Seven
Unity
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The frigid winds whipped and howled as Twilight, Nigel, and Doctor Whooves ducked down as low as they could in the makeshift cart. Even bundled in a heavy artic-weather coat, boots, scarf, and face-mask, Twilight felt frozen stiff and she wondered how Rainbow and Fluttershy, pulling the cart through the sky, were managing to handle it.
They were on their way from Unity to the breakaway settlement of Carl Harner and his people, hoping beyond hope to find survivors of the radiation released when when the separatists had foolishly cracked open a Mor-tax heat ray to see how it worked. The answer was apparently some form of radioelectric generator, and whatever the powering isotope was, it had nearly killed the one individual who made it back to Unity for help.
Now Twilight raised her head up over the edge of the cart as they slowed and began to hover in place. "What do you see?" Rainbow called back.
"Hang on!" Nigel answered. He looked down over the top of the cart, to the small settlement below, and then switched on the gieger counter and aimed it towards the community. After several minutes of watching the screen, he said "I'm not getting anything unusual from here! Start down and closer, but very slowly, and be ready to stop and turn around fast if I yell!"
Rainbow and Fluttershy nodded, and began to descend in a wide spiral towards the town below. As they went, Twilight and Nigel kept a close eye on the machine. For the first two turns, they registered only background radiation. But halfway through the third round, the machine chattered briefly. "Hold up!" Twilight called to the pegasai once they were clear. "Don't go through that area again. Curve out the other way."
This acknowledged, they continued on, landing a few minutes later on the outskirts of the town. Disembarking, Nigel continued to scan their surroundings. "Interesting." He said after a moment. "There is a contaminated area, but it's surprisingly small, confined to a narrow arc across the northeast corner of the town."
"Maybe they left the radiation source inside the shielded casing, with only one side open. Which would mean that it's only escaping in that one direction, like a beam of radiation." Twilight said.
"That's good, either way." Doctor Whooves said. "It means that there could be a lot of locals that weren't exposed at all."
"I hope so." Nigel said. "Let's go say hello, see who's still up and about."
"What about us?" Rainbow asked.
"Let's get you two inside somewhere to warm up." the doctor answered. "You can go back for more medical staff once you're not at risk of frostbite."
xx
The settlement seemed like a ghost town at first. As they walked through the snow-choked street, no one was in sight, and there were no sounds of activity either. A curious discovery was made, near the further end of town from where they entered; a straight, narrow swath of ground, leading away from the town, was totally devoid of snow and ice. "What happened here?" Twilight wondered.
"Let's find out." Nigel replied. He boldly strode to the nearest house and beat on the door until someone answered from inside.
"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" A man's voice groused. Moments later, the door opened. Standing inside was a man in terrible condition. He was emaciated, dirty, and showing symptoms of radiation exposure, though less severe than the woman Marianne had been. "Nigel Bakker? What the hell are you doing here!?"
"Marianne came to Unity ahead of the blizzard." Nigel said. "She told us what happened when she woke up this morning. We're here to help."
"Pony help?" The man asked suspiciously.
Nigel sighed. "Dying of radiation and you still..."
"No, not me. I'll take whatever. Some folks might not though."
"In that case, can we come in?" the doctor asked. "The sooner were get warm, the sooner I can help you and the sooner the pegasai can go back for human doctors for those that won't accept magical assistance."
Nodding, the man stepped aside to let the group in. Twilight was delighted to find that there was a roaring fireplace along the back wall, keeping the building comfortably toasty. She was less thrilled by the suspicious looks of several other humans present, all showing various degrees of radiation sickness.
"So, if I may ask, how many of your people were exposed?" Nigel asked.
"Pretty much all of us got at least some of it. It's coming out in one direction now, and those who were in the line of sight for that when we first opened her up are the ones in the worst shape. But that first moment, it also belched out a cloud of particles that spread all around. So no one was totally safe."
"...Deaths?" Twilight asked, not wanting to know but needing the data.
"Three so far. And another three that I don't expect to make it unless you can do something for them."
"That's why we're here." Doctor Whooves said.
Twilight said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Anyone willing to trust pony magic, we can heal your exposure that way. Anyone who's not, as soon as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are warmed up they'll go and bring back human doctors."
About half of the crowd came forward, willing to accept the pony's offer. The rest sat to the back, waiting. As Twilight and the Doctor set to work casting healing spells, Nigel asked "One more thing to get out of the way. Where's your leader?"
The separatists exchanged wary looks with each other, before the man who had came to the door said "That's a story you're not going to like..."
XXXX
Apple Bloom looked up at her brother with wide pleading eyes. "So what'dya say big brother? Can we do it?"
"Well, it is the right time of year..." Mac began. He looked at the rest of his fellow council members. "What do you think?"
"The holiday seasons can be an emotional lift to some people."
"And a downer to others."
"Sure, but that's mostly the cold winter weather isn't it?"
"Either way, I can't imagine many of our kids wanting to skip Christmas."
"Or foals being happy without Hearth's Warming."
"And we do have a small Jewish population too, don't forget Chanukah."
"What about Thanksgiving?"
"What's that?"
"American harvest celebration. Falls about halfway between Halloween and Christmas."
"Timing's right for that then, don't you think? Why don't we schedule that for say a week from now once the snow's cleared better, and all the yuletide celebrations a month after that?"
"That'd be better. The power should all be on by then."
"How's that for you Bloom?" Mac asked.
"Great!" The filly cheered. "It gives us time to write our letters to Santa Hooves!" She galloped out, off to find her friends and spread the word.
"Santa... Hooves?" Bert asked...
XXXX
Midnight Steel stood close to the campfire, warming himself along with the other guards, as they kept watch on the old Ponyville Town Hall. Prince Blueblood still hadn't emerged, and the Midnight was wondering just how the prince was managing to survive all alone, with no heat source, no water but snow, and little if any remaining food.
"Seriously, we should just go in after him at this point." another guard said.
"Yeah. No way he's still got it in him to pose a threat after this long."
Midnight shook his head. "Probably not. But I'd hate to find out the hard way we were wrong about that. Be a damn shame to have someone get nailed right before the finish line."
"It's Blueblood though... I seriously wonder if he'll have the sense to surrender no matter how bad off he gets."
"Valid." Sturmwind agreed.
"Well, if nothing else I want to give him a few more days." Midnight insisted. "Friday. We'll move on Friday. If he surrenders himself before then, good, if not we'll save him from his own fool self-"
Even as Midnight was speaking, he was interrupted by the sound of the hall's front door creaking open. Surrounded by the glow of a magical aura, a white flag floated out and fluttered back and forth.
"Well I'll be. Maybe he does at least have a few brain cells."
Midnight shushed the other guards and called out "Come on out! We're not gonna hurt you!"
The door opened wider and Blueblood stepped into sight. He was too thin, though not yet emaciated, and his legs wobbled with weakness as he carefully walked to the waiting guards before collapsing. "Terribly sorry, I'm quite famished."
"Um, that's alright... We'll get you back to town, where there's a nice warm private cell waiting for you." Midnight said.
Delerious, the prince said "Oh how delightful! I assume the cell will be furnished in priceless antiques?"
"Anything you say. There'll be food for you too."
"Wonderful. I'll have caviar, then. Yes, caviar and aged pinot noir..."
"Sure you will." Midnight motioned to a unicorn guard who carefully lifted the prince in her aura and started back towards town.
Watching them go, Sturmwind glanced at Midnight and asked "How do you think he'll react when he recovers enough to realize he's in a bare ten by ten cell eating cold rations?"
Shaking his head, Midnight replied "Who says he'll ever come out of it? I rather expect he'll be seeing a lavish palace, sumptuous banquets, and willing mares for the rest of his days..."
XXXX
Unity town hall, two hours after treatment of the ill had begun in the separatist town. Having returned to town on one of the medical runs, Twilight and Nigel stood before the council relating the story they had been told by the people in Carl Harner's group. As they already knew from what Marianne had been able to tell them, Carl had managed to commandeer a rebuilt tripod. His original plan, it seemed had been to spend the winter learning to use it, then attempt to reach the center and find whoever or whatever was responsible for everyone being here and make it send them all home.
After Marianne's departure though, during the thick of the blizzard when his people started dying from the radiation sickness, his rage (And quite possibly mental confusion, seeing as he was also sick) led him to accelerate that schedule. The path they had found that was clear of snow had been blasted with a heat ray. Carl was in his new machine, and on his way now.
"Okay, let's get the quick secondary stuff out of the way first." Sheriff Tucker said. "How are the people still in the town?"
"Not good, but it looks like we'll be able to help them all." Nigel answered.
Twilight said "Maybe it's what's happened to them, or maybe it's that Mister Harner isn't there to influence things, but a lot of them seem less hostile than usual too. I doubt they'll reintegrate into Unity like Blueblood's followers have, but I'm more optimistic that maybe we can get along as neighbors in the future."
"Good. So, what do we do about Carl?"
"Beggin' your pardon Sheriff, but how do you mean?" Macintosh asked. "If he's pushin' that thing full speed we can't catch up to him. Especially if he's got a head start."
"Oh he's got a head start alright." Twilight said. "It seems he left two days ago."
Seated next to Macintosh, Filthy Rich said "But we have to do something. I think I see the Sheriff's concern, you see, and it's quite valid."
"Go on."
Rich sighed. "I've never been the kind of entrepreneur who felt the need to throw my power around. But I've known more than a few who were. The type that'll stop at nothing to get their way and happily crush the 'little guys' to do it... Alien weapons or not, Carl Harner is the little guy compared to the source of our abduction. Best case scenario, he'll get swatted like a mosquito. Worst case scenario..."
Twilight saw where Rich was going. "...Worst case scenario, it decides we're all mosquitoes and swats everyone."
"Exactly."
"Okay, I see the worry." Bert said. "But Mac's point still stands. What can we do at this point?"
"Well, first, we have to ask ourselves if there's really a danger. Carl's as sick as the others, so he could die in route. And even if not, remember the maps. There might be an ocean in his way. Even a tripod couldn't wade a whole sea."
"Still, we need to take action." Rich said. "So let me ask this: If we threw everything we have into it, spared no expense so to speak, how quickly could we have a bare-bones airship ready to fly?"
"That's a project of months even under ideal conditions!" Twilight said.
"We don't have months though..." Nigel said.
And then Macintosh grinned. "Maybe I've got an idea..."
xx
Everyone followed as Macintosh led the way through the deep snows that still filled the side streets, five blocks in the blowing winds and bitter cold, to a house where smoke rolled out of the chimney into the clear sky above. He stepped onto the cleared porch, shook the snow from his hooves, and knocked.
Herbert answered a short time later, surprised to see the entire group. "Don't you fools have enough sense to get in out of the cold!?" He demanded. "Get in here!"
"Appreciate the offer, but we're here on business." Mac said. "Remember what you showed me in the back?"
"That old thing? No way it's water tight anymore. Not to mention it's buried under ten foot of snow."
"I'm sure we can dig her out. We've got a bit of a rush though..."
"Hang on." Herbert answered. Her stepped away, returning moments later in a heavy coat. Everyone followed as he led the way around his house and into the back yard. The snow here was mostly two to three feet deep, but a massive drift rose to double the man's height, clearly covering something underneath.
Twilight's horn glowed as she charged up a spell, which she released in form of a powerful blast of wind. The drifted snow was picked up in the swirling vortex and carried away, revealing what it had been protecting. "Whoa." Twilight whispered as she caught sight of the object, and several others in the group were also impressed.
Before them was a large private motor yacht, forty feet long, with two decks.
"Um, Herb... We didn't live anywhere near the sea... Why would you have something like this?" Tucker asked.
"And how the hell'd you afford it?" Bert wondered.
"Didn't have to afford it." Herbert replied. "Had a rich uncle when I was younger, used to take the whole family out for cruises in the summer. He knew how much I loved those days, left this beauty for me in his will. Of course, I didn't live anywhere near the coast, didn't own a berth, so it got hauled here, been in the yard ever since." He looked at Macintosh. "If you all need her, she's yours. But what did you have in mind exactly?"
"An upgrade." Mac chuckled. "What'dya say Miss Twilight? Tear out the sea going engines, install the magicite battery and some new flight engines, stock her up with food..."
"And go after Carl Harner..."Twilight finished.
"Not just go after, beat him to the punch." Bert said. "He'll have to stop to rest, and go the long way around obstacles in the terrain. And I doubt those tripods can go too terribly fast, if we're quick we could beat him to the center even with his head start."
"Okay!" Twilight exclaimed. "I'll need everyone who knows anything about aeronautics, plus mechanics who know how the boat's existing design works. We'll also need gems to enchant with levitation spells and every unicorn able to cast those enchantments! We can probably be ready to go in under a week."
"Then let's do it."
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I doubt that Carl guy can make it before he dies...
I do not usually root for a character to die but Carl has crossed the line here. Yes I understand that he has not been thinking rationally for awhile here and him being sick is not helping, but how did he make it so far in life before his missing screws where evident? Scary chapter as we now are in a rush to stop Carl from screwing up things for everyone.
6277662 I dunno, jackassery is a powerful stubborn force.
Flyyyy me to the moon...
Or if you prefer:
Fly away now, fly away now, fly away...
Whohohho, they got themselves a plan! :D
ohohoh, this is going to end wonderfully! :D
Nice job!
I wasn't going to bring this up again, but come ON. You gave them most of a boat premade. And they're going to turn it into an airship. Because that's easier than building a boat.
There are no words. There is only facehoofing.
Carl... yeah he's dead.
6277813
An ordinary boat wouldn't be much use - note that they mapped an area of "a couple hundred miles" (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/241989/17/unity/chapter-sixteen), and found the coastline near the edge of that area. So that could be hundreds of miles of wilderness in winter, with deadly animals, just to get the boat to the water. Add to this that the ocean may have even worse predators, as well as dangerous storms...
6277813
In fairness, I did warn you last time that you wouldn't like where I was going with it. And, again, a boat is only useful for crossing the sea (and maybe not even that if it's a coastal cruiser.) An airship can fly anywhere. In any case, though you'll have to deal with the airship from here on out if you keep reading, I think the worst of what you might consider absurd is passed.
6277813 I doubt there's any sort of path that leads from Unity to the ocean. They'd need to clear a trail all that distance, and make sure it's wide enough to bring that yatch the entire distance. And then they have to figure out a way to transport it. Not really feasible, even if they had years.
6277870
Or it could be on a island continent in the middle of the ocean.
Looks like they hit the "GO TIME!" button.
some minor editing points
-not sure you need the 'you see' in there
Seems they left out on other negative aspect of Carl getting to the center first, if this is some sort of unmanned/automated system, in his present state he could either 1) Fiddle with the controls and cause chaos that way or 2) in a fit of rage over option 1 not working destroy the installation removing any chance of a return trip or 3) if it is manned he kills the operator leaving no one to negotiate with or knows how to use the device to send them home
6277662 Carl is already dead when Twilight's crew arrives or he lives long enough to wreak havoc thanks to plot immunity.
Looks like things are coming to a close
Does he deliver roaring fires to good children to drive the Wendigos away?
I wonder if you've read Ponydoraprancypants? I seem to recall a most excellent story with an "airship".
Alright, so were already speeding towards the end boss?
Shame, wanted to see how many other species could appear, with that revelation that the Goblin's knew other species, and it was possible that they would meet them, I wondered for the future... but now.
Eh, Carl is speeding ahead, leaving his town behind, meanwhile, we're going to go airship on this bitch.
Next chapter, soon?
6278752 plot immunity really make a mess of thing....
6277662 Depends on how much radiation he was exposed to. If it wasn't an immediately lethal dose, he may be able to get there. He won't be in good shape, though.
I'm picturing an Evil Dead/Army of Darkness esque quick build montage for the Airship.
Crap, Carl's on the loose with a Ray gun!
"Yeah, he was a legend we borrowed from the griffons," Scootaloo explained. "They long ago changed his name to make him more pony-friendly. He was originally called 'Santa Claws'.
"
I don’t give a flying BUCK if you ‘trust pony magic’! If your going to be such a fat headed, racist, hate-spewing nut job that you won’t except the help of someone trying to save your life from a slow, agonizing death by radiation, shove it up your petty little flank and cry me a river after I save you life!
Whinny, self hurting, close minded, idiotic neanderthals...
Santa transcends even the space between worlds.
Also, luxury air yacht for the win!
Would it be fucked up or what if after everything everyone goes through, they finally reach the center and It's just discord sitting there:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Trollface_non-free.png