Marked

by Eisen

Chapter 16: Risky Business

Twilight calmly strolled out of the local Big Bucks Bank, with a few pamphlets about them in hoof. After a short stroll to a park not even a block away, she sighed and plopped herself down on a park bench.

She subtly checked her surroundings and, finding only a few ponies out for a stroll, decided to read the pamphlet she was currently holding. As she raised her hoof up to hold it, she couldn't help but notice the yellow coloration of her coat. It was still so strange to her, being so... different. However, she knew it necessary for the time being, and, after shaking her head to refocus, began to read.

"Big Bucks Bank was founded 20 years after Luna's banishment, in a time when depression and insecurity ruled the land, and the people needed something solid to hold their funds, something to give them security again. It was founded by Small Bucks, and is currently run by Lotso Bucks..." Twilight shook her head slightly and stopped reading. There was nothing in here any more significant than what she had learned when interviewing Lotso himself a few minutes ago, who was staying at his local branch office due to the meeting a week prior. She had claimed to be an interviewer, collecting information on business owners to add them to the list of potentials for the "Friendliest Business Award," and that excuse had served her perfectly so far. However, everything in these pamphlets were just repeats of what Lotso had told her... and there wasn't a single shred of evidence connecting him to any of the strange goings on recently.

She casually crossed his name off of the list Stamper had given her, and placed the information and papers in her slowly filling saddlebag, next to the information from other businesses.

For the past two days, she had been doing little more than going from business to business, interviewing people and reading up on corporate histories. The short naps she managed to get were completely dreamless, and she was really unsure what that could mean, if anything.

Her eyes scanned the sheet to look for the next business to investigate, noting many crossed off throughout. She hadn't been able to go in order due to the diverse location of businesses and the readily available information on said businesses, which initially bothered her organized mind, but any irritation subsided with her sense of urgency. Every day she didn't find a connection was another day they could do more harm.

She looked back near the top of the list and furrowed her brow at the sight of a name she had almost unintentionally been avoiding: Far Reach, of the Reach Mining Company. She really didn't know why she'd been steering away from it, perhaps it was Stamper's adverse reaction, or the fact that she only vaguely heard the name somewhere, which in her mind shrouded it in mystery. However, given her constant dead ends so far, and the lack of any evidence after two days, she figured it was time to look into it. So, she got up, and began walking north.

After a long walk to the northern boarder of the empire, she came upon the Reach Mining Co. local office, located not far from the mountain mines where the laborers worked. She gathered her confidence with a bit of breathing, and walked inside, being met with warm air, and feeling a semi-stiff carpet upon her hooves. There were a few fancy chairs, and one very bored receptionist behind the glass of a help-window, chewing gum and casually reading a magazine.

Twilight boldly walked up with a rehearsed smile, keeping in character with her new accent. "Hello! My name is Tara Writer, and I was wondering if Mr. Reach is available to be interviewed for the 'Friendliest Business Award!'"

The receptionist looked up at her with a tired expression, clearly very bored. "He's not here right now. He's in Canterlot or something," she said with a quiet but direct voice, her relaxed posture remaining unchanged.

Twilight was a bit disappointed, but hid it well, moving on to plan B. "Well may I search around the building for information I could use for the award?" she asked, to which the receptionist shrugged.

"Whatever" she said, returning to her magazine, which was enough for Twilight, who said thanks and began walking down the back hallway. She glanced into a few of the offices, the walls all a dull cream color, the employees inside all looking either focused or bored, perhaps both. Nothing of consequence around these offices, so she headed to the very back into the work area to look around.

She started in the Refining area, and she watched as many fine gems were washed and shined, cut and polished. Some of the metals were being melted down into ingots for transport in another section of the room. Nothing too suspicious here.

Next, she entered the processing area, where geodes were being busted open, rocks and dull "common" crystal was being separated from precious ores and gems, with some of that rock and stone being sent to the refinery area to be turned into bricks or building materials.

Finding nothing still, she entered the large storage area, which contained drills, shovels, pickaxes, hard hats, masks, and all sorts of other mining equipment. She had almost given up of finding a connection in this place, when she noticed an eerily familiar smell. She followed that smell until she found a few rows of large barrels, containing mining gel that could melt through crystal. It was the stuff that the grey pegasus had used to coat the hideout before burning it to the ground.

Evidently she had zoned out staring at the barrels, because the next thing she new, a worker had approached her with a voice that reminded her of Braeburn's, but slightly rougher. "Pretty cool huh?" it questioned. She turned around to see a tan pony wearing a white hard hat and a stained, formerly white worker's uniform. Taking advantage of her reporter look and the situation, she decided to ask him exactly what was in the barrels.

He was quite eager to answer. "Oh! That's one of the things Reach himself invented! It's a special sticky gel that coats the solid, worthless dull crystal and stone, and can burn right through it like it was wood, without harming the precious ores and rare gems inside!"

Interesting, so this absolutely was the real stuff. "Do you ever sell this stuff to other companies or people?" she asked.

"No, never. In fact, we haven't lost a barrel in the last three years! Mr. Reach is very big on proper inventory!" he explained, gesturing to the platform on which the barrels rested. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a giant scale, weighing exactly how many barrels there were.

He seemed to continue on his own accord. "That stuff makes us the best and most efficient mining company in Equestria, so not only is it patented, but to prevent anyone from stealing it, we manufacture it on site upstairs!"

She was delighted, and asked if she could possibly see the place, which led to a slight droop in his expression. "Aww shucks. Sorry, but that area's supposed to be off limits," he informed, his ears dipping ever so slightly.

Now Twilight made it a point to use integrity in all dealings, and to encourage freedom from all individuals, so Twilight would never wrongly manipulate anyone into going against their morals.

Tara Writer however, was not Twilight Sparkle, and if he had known that there may have been lives at stake, he may have been more willing voluntarily.

But, one flash from her horn later, he was leading her up the stairs to the lab, and only looked puzzled when they arrived. "Thanks!" she expressed happily, and, being unsure what just happened, he assumed she had somehow been allowed there and happily said "you're welcome!"

They were standing outside of a thick glass wall, looking at a white room with scientists and workers all diligently working over chemical vats. One white mare wearing a chemical hood walked over and came outside of the lab to talk, removing her face mask and smiling, "This here's a reporter looking over our company, and she wanted to talk to y'all! ...I think," the worker said, scratching his head slightly as Twilight and the scientist shook hooves. "Hello! I'm Tara Writer, for the 'Friendliest Business Award,' just wanted to ask a few questions!" she explained.

"Name's Dr. Enay C. Ell, #1 chemist here at the Imperial Reach Mining Co. What can I do for you?" she asked, confidently smiling.

"I'd first like to know how Mr. Reach is as a manager, and please, be truthful!" she said, partially to keep up her act, but also because she was curious.

She was quick to respond. "Oh he's a very calm stallion, not one for dressing up all fancy like other business leaders. All things disclosed though he can be kind of dull at times."

She took a small note on this, then continued with the questions. "Has he made any unusual decisions lately? See, he may have heard of this award in advance and we uh, wouldn't want him cheating to look better for the award now." She had almost faltered in her speech, but Ell didn't seem to notice, and the worker was still scratching his head a bit.

The doctor waved it off immediately "oh no..." but she trailed off and scratched her chin in thought. "Although... just the other day Mr. Reach asked for an extra order, of the gel. We haven't needed an extra order for almost three years now, but according to him, some new employee went and spilled a barrel!"

Twilight quickly wrote and underlined a note of this, and asked if he had brought in any new employees or guests. Knowing she had to quickly cover her tracks with the suspicious question, she spoke up, "I'm trying to get a feel for his friendliness to those outside or just entering the company."

"Oh no, in fact it's quite rare that anyone is let in here, for good reason, but a few reporters have been coming by to ask about the recent opening of Reach Refineries, so I'm not too surprised."

She was relieved that her presence here was not too suspicious, but was quite disappointed that there were no more clues about the place.

She reached out and shook both of their hooves. "Thank you both for your time, have a great day!" she stated in a friendly manner.

After they had both left, she began walking back through the halls of offices, when she came upon what appeared to be the central office. She froze and ducked out of sight quickly when she saw a technician from the lab come in levitating a file.

Upon close inspection, it appeared to be a production file for the gel

She heard a voice inside the office ask if anyone else had seen the file, and the technician responding not very formally. Her ears perked up as she listened in to hear the voices more clearly.

"Good. The last thing Mr. Reach needs right now is a mouthy technician letting people know we sold gel to a non-employee client. Understood?" the voice asked gruffly. It was definitely a male, and it sounded fairly deep.

She gasped when she heard him and she could see the shadow of the file being put in a safe.

Backing away calmly and eventually making her way past the receptionist, she left calmly and walked outside, placing the notes in her bag.

That file may be the big missing connection between Reach and the grey pegasus. She needed that file, but going in alone would be risky, and she hadn't read too many books on being stealthy or cracking safes.

And then, something clicked in her mind as she thought about it. While she knew nothing about cracking safes, breaking in sneakily, or stealing... she now knew some people who did.

Twilight confidently and quickly began heading downtown. She knew where she had to go, but she had one quick stop to make along the way.

Comments

[--blank--]

More pwease?

[ferret]

"Hello! My name is Tara Writer

I didn't even... I didn't... yellow... ugh......

[StormyVenture]

So, how many more ponies will she being getting killed on her account?

[Fourpony]

Name's Dr. Enay C. Ell

Doctor Table Salt. NaCl.

[son_of_heaven176]

7042345
I THOUGHT that the name meant something! Thanks for that.