The Dawn Cometh Pt. 1
The Dawn Cometh
Original concept written and edited by Shanenator
Prologue: The Dawn Cometh
*****
We’ve arrived.
How do I know? It’s obvious, really. Why else would the car stop moving? Why else would the engine cut out? It’s strange. We depend so much on our sense of sight that when it is taken from us, our ability to connect with the world around us deepens. Why do we depend so much on sight? Why is it that we really notice our other senses when the most important one vanishes? Why am I asking all these questions?
It’s a waste of time, really. I’m always following one tangent or another in my mind. Especially when it helps pass the time. But honestly, I can’t help it. I do this all the time. Always asking questions. Always exploring the universe around me. I guess that’s what makes me good at what I do. Solving problems: the scientific way.
Maybe that’s why they chose me? I’m still rather disbelieving of the whole situation. This had better not be a dream. If it is, I must compliment my brain on being able to mimic the real world so convincingly. I doubt it, though. It still doesn’t reassure me that things aren’t about to get weird, and fast.
Honestly, it was probably just pure dumb luck. I happened to be walking through that particular alley in the middle of that particular city at that exact particular time where there just so happened to be two top-secret government agents waiting to grab the first guy that walked by. Okay, so they didn’t grab me. Still scared the crap out of me, though.
Imagine this: here I am just walking through the alley, an already shady proposition which I normally am disinclined to partake of but was particularly rushed at the time, and two guys taller than me wearing tuxedoes and sunglasses step out from two shadows on either side of the alley. And let me just say: I’m no shrimp. I’m six feet tall, and tend to be one of the taller people in the room. I’m used to that. That’s probably why I felt so strange in Japan.
Anyways, these two guys. I jumped at first and started to run, but thankfully my brain kicked in and decided to be rational. Since when did people get mugged by snazzy dudes in sunglasses? Usually muggers are wearing beanies and tattered, dirty, smelly sweaters and sweatpants. And like five coats. And reek of tobacco. That fact alone stayed my feet. That, and the fact that the guys weren’t carrying any visible weapons. Don’t get me wrong; I’m sure they both have a pistol somewhere in that tux jacket, but I didn’t see it.
Once they step a bit closer I notice one last distinguishing feature: both these dudes have what appears to be a radio attached to their ear. Yep, definitely government agents. Confirmed by countless years of stereotypical Hollywood films and corny comics and cartoons. Okay, so they weren’t going to hurt me. Probably. Citizens tend to voice displeasure when the government goes and beats someone up, especially without explanation. So why were they accosting me in an alley? Did I do something wrong? Was this the IRA? The CIA? The FBI? Have I accidentally committed a crime? Has someone stolen my identity and is using it to commit heinous crimes across the continental US? God, I hope not. I work hard for that money.
Oh well, it was soon too late to ask questions. The dudes were already standing on either side of me. They weren’t too close, but the way they flanked me clearly implied they didn’t want me to leave. Both of them had their arms folded behind their back in a very business-like demeanor. A rather frightening demeanor, actually. I felt like I was talking to members of the mob, not government officials. Maybe they were in disguise?
Ah! Someone just grabbed me and dragged me to my feet. So much for reminiscing, the present calls. That’s a shame. I like reflecting on the past. There’s no decisions to be made when living the past. Only analysis.
I hear the car door roll open and a hand gently pushes on the small of my back, guiding me. A gruff voice calls, “watch your step.” I gingerly feel around with my right foot and find that there’s a lack of solid material about a foot in front of me. Taking a leap of faith, I thrust my leg over the precipice and plunge it forward into the unknown. After about a second I hit solid ground.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite prepared for that and I stumble forward. Thankfully, whoever’s behind me is kind enough to grab my shoulder and prevent me from faceplanting into the cold, hard ground. “I said watch your step,” the voice said again with a hint of amusement. A second voice nearby chuckles slightly. Yeah, so I’m currently being led around by these same two dudes. And I’m blindfolded. I’d be lying if I said I knew what was going on.
The hand continues to guide me. I hear some mechanical hums that I can only assume are doors before the echoing sound of our footsteps ring out loud and clear. If I had to guess, we’re probably walking down some long, dim, well-polished hallway. The agents’ steps are perfectly timed with each other and clack with the same volume every step, while my clumsy shuffling gait disrupts the melodious noise with mistimed, scratchy sounds. Oh, well. They’re trained professionals and I’m not.
We turn a corner. I have no idea where we’re going and I have no intention of trying to keep track of it. I initially tried to trace our route when I got in the car, but these guys are smart. I’m pretty sure they took a non-optimal path with plenty of turns, loops, and backpedals to throw me off, and it worked. I’m well and truly lost now. So again, I have no idea where we’re going or how long it’s going to take. It’s time to return to my thoughts.
Back to the alley. Oh, the excitement. Now that the agents were standing right in front of me, and behind me, I was able to get a good look at them. The one in front of me was a tall, beefy, bald guy. His skin was dark, but not the darkest I’ve seen. Upon looking him over, I decided that if this was a Hollywood movie this was the cool black guy who gets five bad-ass scenes and then gets killed off for some reason. Frickin’ Hollywood. They’re probably all racist. I hate people like that. Unfortunately, what was shaping up to be a magnificent internal tirade against evil people of the world was abruptly brought to a halt as the dude began to speak.
“Good evening, sir. I am an agent of the E.R.D., a top-secret branch of the government. I’d like to ask you a few questions.” As the agent spoke, he withdrew a badge from his inner jacket and flashed it in front of my face. Seriously, the whole scene was just like in a movie. But now I was really getting worried. The E.R.D.? What the hell was that supposed to be? Confound these top-secret government groups. So much for ‘by the people, for the people.’ More like ‘screw the people, let’s develop superweapons and stuff.’ Sometimes, I wonder if anarchy is the way to go. I’ve found myself doing that a lot recently.
Anyways, the guy goes on while I’m busy trying to figure out who the hell he is, what the hell he wants, and how much trouble I’m about to be in. “My name is Agent Dash. This here is Agent Sparkle.” Wait, what the hell? Dash and Sparkle? I have to restrain the urge to laugh. Those are quite possibly the most ridiculous secret agent names I’ve ever heard, cheesy Hollywood movies included. Yeah, I don’t really like movies. Honestly I sometimes think I watch them less for the actual plot and more for additional things to make fun of later.
Anyways, while I’m giving myself the hiccups trying to remain silent he continues. “We would just like to ask one question. Does the word ‘Equestria’ mean anything to you?”
What. The. Hell.
Equestria? Was he kidding me? I mean yes, it means something to me, but why on earth are a couple of secret agents asking me about ponies? The government watches My Little Pony? Has it gotten that big? Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the show. I thought it would be girly and gross and lame, but it turned out to be cute, clever, funny, and genuinely well written and animated. I was really impressed. Besides, it was better than most of the other drivel television stations were airing in those days. I swear, whoever it was who wrote ‘Adventure Time’ HAD to be high. High as a kite. Yeah, I hated TV back then. I miss the good old cartoons. How long has it been since I got into ponies? I think the show first aired like ten years ago? Wow it’s been a while.
And the fandom’s still going strong. You wouldn’t believe how many ‘bronies,’ as we’re often called, have graduated from college and make full-length movies and stuff. There’s even the occasional brony concert. It’s honestly pretty sweet. Hasbro’s still a total scam though; no one watches the actual show anymore. It sucks now. But that’s okay because we’ve basically taken over. I myself still write the occasional fictional work, but for the most part just enjoy reading and being a part of the community.
Okay, way off topic. Back to these creepy guys who I’m beginning to worry might be bronies in disguise. Well this certainly explained the agent’s names. Sparkle and Dash, clearly referring to Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. At least they have good taste in the ponies they pick to be named after. I don’t think I could hold a straight face upon meeting ‘Agent Pie.’ So what government group are they a part of, then? Does the ‘E’ stand for Equestria? Probably. I made a mental note to ask in a moment. I have my rights, after all.
“…Yes,” I finally said slowly. It sure is strange getting pulled over in an alley and asked about Equestria. I reckon that’s not something that happens every day. Or even every year. Most of us aren’t creepy weirdos like that. Not anymore at least. All the more ‘hardcore’ fans, as we normal people so kindly call them, got hired by Hasbro. And were never heard from again.
“Is that so?” the agent behind me, Agent Sparkle, spoke up. “So you are familiar, then, with the animated series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and the characters wherein?” I turned around to get a good luck at the other guy. He was also tall and beefy, but was undoubtedly Caucasian. I think his skin was even lighter than mine, and that’s saying something, although it was difficult to say in the gloomy shadows. He had shoulder-length blonde hair that was slightly curly, more of a wavy shape if I had to say. And boy was it blonde. It puts my own dirty blonde hair to shame.
“Yes, I’ve watched the show,” I reluctantly respond. I have no idea what’s going on. I also hope they’re nice enough to keep their mouths shut. I’m kind of a closet brony. I’ve hardly ever talked about ponies face-to-face with another person, and most of my family and close friends still have no idea. It’s honestly pretty funny how many references to the show I’ve dropped in casual conversation with zero repercussions. But yeah, I don’t do much besides watch the show and do some reading so it’s really easy to hide. I’m not necessarily opposed to the idea of being found out, but I fail to see a logical reason to expedite the process. “I have no idea how you knew, though. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.”
If what I said registered with them, they didn’t show it. “Good,” Agent Dash continued. “We are members of the top-secret Equestrian Research Division.” What?? The Equestrian Research Division? Oh this is just great. Fantastic beyond belief. The government is now ‘researching’ My Little Pony. What the hell is that even supposed to mean?
“What we are about to tell you is top secret. I don’t think we need to inform you of the…consequences of not being discreet, mister…?” As Agent Dash spoke, he leaned forward, lowered his sunglasses, and looked me straight in the eyes. As I stared into those inky brown depths there was not a shred of doubt in my mind that this man would kill me in a heartbeat should I do anything to compromise their mission. It was horrifying.
“You can call me Shane,” I managed to say. In hindsight, I probably should’ve tried to make up a name but I was too afraid to think of that at the time. The brain works in funny ways. Or rather, completely predictable ways in this case.
“Very well, Mr. Shane,” Agent Sparkle continued. I have to say, these guys definitely know how things are done. The whole back and forth thing worked wonders to keep me on my toes and more than a little unsettled. “We have an offer for you. Our research team has recently developed a new technology, one that may be of great interest to you.” Pony technology? What could that possibly mean? The ability to use magic? The ability to fly? The ability to eat hay? The ability to manipulate the weather? Don’t get me wrong, all of those things sound awesome. Except eating hay, that just sounds dumb. And I’m allergic to the stuff so bad plan anyways. Suffice to say, however, I was most intrigued.
“Go on,” I said, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. I turned back to Agent Dash, expecting him to speak again. Nope, the clever bastards tricked me. The responding voice once again emanated from behind me.
“Mr. Shane. We are offering you a chance to pass through an experimental portal and explore Equestria firsthand.”
Oh my god…
I stood stock-still, rooted to the spot. My breathing slowed to a crawl while my heartbeat skyrocketed. My eyes probably went wider than they ever have before. A chance to go to Equestria? How is that even possible? Equestria’s not even real!
…Right?
Have they designed an Equestria-like land? They’ve had ten years or so to do it. Or has it actually existed this entire time? I like to think that I’m a smart guy, but when it comes to figuring out the big questions of the universe I prefer to follow in the footsteps of the greats. Logically, the best way to deal with such an outlandish statement is to take it with a grain of salt. Okay, maybe a boulder. “That sounds like a loud of bull,” I finally managed to say.
Agent Sparkle smiled, reminding me of a wolf sizing up a particularly juicy sheep. “I must admit, we also had some difficulty accepting the truth of this statement.” He then lowered his sunglasses and stared right into my gaze, not unlike his partner a moment ago. Cold blue eyes met concerned blue eyes. “But seeing is believing.” …Damn these guys were good. Creepy as all hell, but good.
I paused again, shuffling my feet slightly. What am I supposed to do in a situation like this? What would others do in a situation like this? By now I’m fairly convinced these guys are real government officials. And I must confess: by this point I was really, REALLY curious. But I’m still standing in an alleyway with a couple of shady dudes. “What do you want me to do?” I asked tentatively.
“Simple,” Agent Dash replied. “We will take you to our headquarters. And you will enter the portal.” Woah, woah, woah. Hold the phone. Take me where now? That’s one hell of a red flag. Next they’re going to ask me to get into a windowless van.
“Hang on a minute. You don’t last long in the city accepting joyrides from everyone who jumps you in an alley and offers you one. How do I know you guys are the real deal and not just gangsters or something?”
Both agents smiled in a more than slightly sinister manner. Seriously, these guys were giving me the creeps. Either they were totally gangsters or they were screwing around with me because they’re the government and they do that sort of stuff. Cheeky bastards. “We had a feeling you would say that,” Agent Sparkle said with a hint of amusement in his voice. “Didn’t you see these?” he asked, waving his badge around once again.
I leaned in and gave the badge a closer inspection. It looked fancy and official enough, but I’ve never even heard of a branch as ridiculous as the E.R.D. “It looks nice and all, but how do I know that’s not an engraving that a bunch of goons whipped up? No one I’ve ever talked to mentioned an E.R.D. When was your division created?”
Agent Dash grimaced slightly. “Sorry, but that’s classified. However, we had a feeling you would ask something like that. Which is why I am allowed to show you something. I’m sure I need not mention that what I’m about to show you is top. Secret,” Agent Dash intoned, placing an unsettling amount of emphasis on the final two words. Normally I’d be concerned about guys showing me things in an alley, but this was so strange curiosity got the better of me.
“Alright. Let’s see this…top secret thingy.” Dash smiled that creepy smile again and reached into his jacket pocket. When he withdrew his hand he was clutching…a rock. No I’m serious, it was a rock. Suffice to say, my lack of enthusiasm with this whole situation was so tangible I could’ve beaten someone with it. “A rock? Seriously?” I deadpanned, thoroughly unimpressed.
There’s that damned smile again. “Why don’t you just hold it for a moment, Mr. Shane.” I rolled my eyes, but extended my hand to take the rock anyways.
“Fine. I’ll hold the damn thing, but I seriously doubt-”
Woah!!
What the hell was with this rock? I had to suppress the urge to drop it as soon as I made contact with it. I was so surprised I never even completed my sentence, which would’ve been a grand epitome of sarcasm and disbelief had I finished. But seriously, this rock! It…tingled. I couldn’t explain it. It was like the rock was infused with some sort of mysterious energy. How was this possible? The logical part of my brain took over as I tried to rationalize this phenomenon.
Okay, rocks can easily hold thermal energy. Hot coals are testament enough to that. But this rock didn’t feel hot. It actually felt quite cool to the touch. Very smooth, too. That rules that option out. Honestly, the more I felt the rock the more I was reminded of electrical energy. It felt rather similar to that tingly feeling that follows upon shocking someone. But an electrical rock? That’s not even possible!
…Right?
Maybe it had silicon particulates in it, making it somewhat conductive. Maybe there was a circuit embedded in it, with a battery and whatnot. But even so, that couldn’t possibly account for the amount of raw energy I was feeling. It didn’t add up. It made no sense. Rocks are NOT conductors. It was almost like it was, dare I say it…magic.
The agents said nothing as I stood there and gaped at that rock. That scientific impossibility. Finally, I managed to stutter out a sentence. “What…what is this thing?”
Agent Sparkle smirked. “That, Mr. Shane, is an Equestrian rock.” What? No way! Not possible!
“Horse crap.”
Sparkle raised an eyebrow but continued nonetheless. “Oh no, we kid you not. This is more or less the extent of what we’ve managed to retrieve through the portal thus far, but it should be possible to send a human being through. As I’m sure you are aware, Equestria is a magical land. This simple rock has been infused with the magic of the very earth itself. It’s an energy unlike anything in our known universe.”
My mind raced as I processed what the agent was saying. A new energy source? This could be the solution to world energy! Think of the possibilities! Nanoprocessors! Space travel! Cold fusion! All our modern hopes and dreams rendered impossible by energy constraints and heat buildup given life once again!
…Whoops. Tangents again. Focusing now. I was pretty excited for a moment or two, though. Think of a kid in a candy factory who’s suddenly holding powdered peanut butter or some similarly previously unheard-of invention with the capacity to make everything instantly twenty percent better.
Anyways, Dash held out his hand for the rock and I reluctantly handed it back to him. As soon as I relinquished my touch on the rock, the tingling feeling faded and I was left feeling strangely empty. I had just been touched by something…otherworldly. And I wanted to experience it again. However, I had one more question. “If I accept your offer to go with you, how will we get there?”
Dash jerked his head to his left. I looked, and had to resist the urge to facepalm. Well what do you know about that. A plain black SUV with tinted windows and false license plates. At least, I was pretty sure. The only thing it was missing was a machine gun turret on the roof. The whole ‘secret agents’ gig was becoming more convincing by the minute. “All right, fine. Can you promise that I’ll be alright though?”
Sparkle smiled deviously. “If you enter the portal, then no. But if you turn this opportunity down and keep your mouth shut, you’ll be fine. Pinkie promise.” …What. I had to do a double take at that. I’m pretty sure they were just screwing with me by now but it was still awfully weird to hear a secret agent say that. I guess they really were the ‘Equestrian Research Division.’
So what was I supposed to do in that situation? It’s not every day the government walks up to you and offers to show off top secret stuff. If these guys were legit, then I had the potential to see some mind-blowingly amazing things. Equestria or no, whatever they did to that rock was enough to get me very, very curious. However, if they were gangsters I could get myself really hurt, or worse. Still, if worst came to worst I’m pretty well off and so is my family, so maybe I could bribe my way out. And this is only IF they turned out to be bad guys. Which at this point seemed pretty unlikely.
I let out a long sigh, blowing upwards and ruffling a tuft of my hair as I am sometimes wont to do. “Ok. I’ll go with you.”
Both agents smiled. Again, really, really creepily. I was beginning to wonder if I had made a mistake. It quickly became too late though, as Agent Sparkle whipped a black sack over my head, glasses and all. Hey, come on! I’m making these guys pay if they scratched my lenses. “Hey! What gives?” I frantically asked.
“We apologize for this inconvenience, but it is of the utmost importance that you remain unaware of our headquarters’ location,” Agent Dash smoothly apologized. “Just follow us. We’ll lead you to the car.” Sure enough, I was guided through the alley and lifted into the seat of the SUV. One of the agents sat down on my left, Sparkle I think. The other, Dash, probably sat shotgun, as I was fairly certain there had been a driver sitting here the entire time.
It was about this point that I noticed my sack was made of some pretty funky material. As we started to drive, I literally couldn’t see anything. Normally you can at least detect changes in light intensity through cloth, but not this stuff. These guys sure did have some weird tricks up their sleeves. So between the complete lack of light and the purposely misleading path, I found myself well and truly lost. And now here I am, walking through a hallway with the same guy. Still blindfolded. Life can be really crazy sometimes.
Suddenly, I hear the creak of a door opening and we pause for a moment. I’m gruffly guided inside and pushed into a chair, but not violently so. Still, it’s one of those classic metal chairs and it’s not particularly comfortable. The bag over my head is suddenly whipped off by an unseen hand, skewing my glasses and mussing my hair. I blink my eyes open and see…nothing.
Seriously, it’s just more darkness. Awesome. I reach up to readjust my glasses and wave my hand in front of my face. I can just barely see it. A loud, echoing click suddenly rings out as a pair of floodlights practically blind me. I groan and cover my eyes with my hands. What the hell, guys? I thought I was volunteering, not being interrogated! “Hey! Turn that down, I can’t see!” I cry feebly.
“You’ll adjust,” Agent Sparkle says smoothly as he strides into my field of view. “Set power level to fifty percent,” he continues, but it was clear he wasn’t talking to me. Well then who was he talking to…?
More clicks. More lights. And my jaw is now missing. Turns out we were sitting in a HUGE room. Myself and the two agents are on some sort of raised balcony on one side of the room. Below us is a massive circular indentation in the floor. I can’t tell what it’s supposed to be though, it just looks like a simple metallic floor. Maybe a containment pool of some sort? Beyond that are rows and rows of desks, computers, and equipment, along with roughly thirty people wearing white labcoats busily scurrying about. Seriously though, the equipment they had consisted of huge consoles and strange constructs I don’t have a hope of guessing the purposes of. It was very expensive-looking too. What kind of budget did these guys have?
A low hum begins to thread its way into my consciousness. “What is this place?” I ask, slightly nervous. It’s clear that something big is about to go down.
“This,” Agent Dash says, gesturing to the grand room. “Is the gateway nexus. It is where we open the portal to Equestria. It’s how we have studied the world, and how we obtained this rock,” he elaborates, tossing the rock in his hand as he does so. I think my eyes were unconsciously following its movement, because he suddenly smiles and puts it away. “Theoretically, it should be possible to use this construct to observe any alternate universe, but as of right now this is the only frequency we’ve managed to properly document.”
“And…you want me to go through?” I timidly inquire.
“Indeed we do. So what do you say?” Dash asks innocently enough, that easy smile still playing over his features. I…I don’t know. What do I say?
The hum is getting louder. It’s getting a bit difficult to think. Yeah, they are DEFINITELY doing something weird. I hope it’s safe, you never know when the government gets involved. “How do I get back?” Might as well start with the obvious questions.
“We will bring you back once you’ve spent a year in Equestria.” What? A year? Was he serious?
“A year?” I echo, my voice raising a bit to be heard over the steadily increasing hum. “How am I supposed to just walk away from my life for a year? I have family, friends, and a job!”
Dash smirks knowingly. “What will seem like a year to you will only be five minutes for us.”
…What. Okay, we have officially blasted through the fabric of what I previously accepted to be reality and we have now entered the wonderful realm of science fiction where apparently anything is possible. And I practically piss myself in a strange combination of excitement, fear, and bewilderment. “Are you kidding me? I’m going to traveling through space AND time? How is that possible? And how will you find me once my ‘year’ is up?”
Still with the creepy smile. “We’ve spent five years developing this theory. We are ninety-eight percent sure it is correct. As for tracking you, we will do so with this.” Dash holds up a small black disk, roughly half an inch in diameter. What on earth was that? This place is officially starting to scare me. My fear increases as Agent Sparkle speaks up to my right.
“Status report!” he calls into a handheld radio. The hum is quite loud now, about the same volume as having the window down on the highway.
“Containment field holding! Energy fluctuations are confirmed stable with only five percent influx. Gradual trans-dimensional breaching proceeding smoothly,” the radio crackled back. Influx? Containment field? Trans-dimensional breaching? Okay, I’m a smart guy being an engineer and whatnot, but this is clearly way over my head. I have no idea what I’ve just gotten myself into.
“Good! Increase to seventy-five percent!” The scientists below seem to scurry faster.
“Is this safe?” I yell. Dash is grinning fiercely now. I think my fear is amusing him.
“Like I said, ninety-eight percent sure! Just think about it! A whole world to explore, and you’ll be the first to do it! You will be compensated handsomely if you return!”
“IF I return?” I scream.
“We can’t guarantee anything. We have no idea what you may find, and that’s what this is for,” he yells, motioning to the disk again. “It will record what you see, hear, smell, and touch so we can analyze it!”
“For a whole year?”
“Pretty impressive, huh?” I’ll say. It was downright scary how advanced in technology this group was. And I thought I was on the cutting-edge of technology. Haha, how quaint. Clearly not. Damn that hum is loud now. It’s more like a howling scream, not unlike standing next to a railroad and having a train blaze past.
“Power input at seventy-five percent! Energy reactors fusing normally. Fuel appears to be safe from paramagnetic fluctuations. Target dimensionality located. Rift leyline stabilizers on standby!” the radio flares again. Sparkle turns to me and motions for me to join him by the handrail.
“Good! Open the portal and proceed to full power! Activate phase shields and scan for high-intensity gamma surges. Maintain containment field at strength of 2.25 quanta!” I have to say, I'm downright overwhelmed by the whole situation. I don't much like having zero understanding of a scientific situation. Usually I'm able to grasp at least the basics. I unsteadily rise to my feet and follow Dash to the handrail. Is it just me, or is there some force pushing me back? It's hard to tell over this damned humming.
I reach the handrail and look down. What I see nearly takes my breath away. In the circular indentation, the floor is…moving. That's the only word I have for it. Shimmering, almost. Then, before my very eyes, a bright speck of light appears in the center and begins to spread outwards. Slowly, a ring of light begins to open up, seemingly eating away at the solid metal floor. The edges of the ring shine every color of the rainbow, and never stop moving and shimmering. Through the portal I can see a vivid image of…a sunrise?
I gape as the ring spread until it's completely occupying the indentation. The ring is big, too. If I had to guess, I would say about ten meters in diameter. The humming is extremely loud now. It's like standing next to a jet engine on the tarmac.
“Well, Mr. Shane?” Agent Sparkle screams as loudly as he can, yet even then I can only barely hear him. “It’s now or never! Dare you go where no man has gone before? Dare you to explore the unknown of Equestria?” I…I don’t know! Dare I??
“Quantum tunneling process complete! Power levels are stable, fluctuations normal. Average energy output reading in at about two terajoules. Wait! What did you say?!” The radio suddenly cuts out. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. The two agents look equally concerned.
“Dr. Walter? Report in! Status!” Sparkle yells, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Containment is failing! The deflection gratings are deteriorating too rapidly! We will only be able to safely sustain the portal for another minute! You must hurry!” the radio hurriedly answers, the voice getting increasingly distorted by static. “Quickly! Deploy the neutron beams! Maintain power output at ninety percent! Distort gamma flux with…” the voice is cut off as Agent Sparkle angrily chucks the radio over his shoulder.
“Well, Mr. Shane? It’s now or never! You must decide!” he shouts intensely. I know I have to decide! Stop pressuring me! I just…I can’t…what do I do?
The logical part of my brain tells me this was crazy. I have a good life. I have a great income, a comfortable home, a caring family, and several enthusiastic friends and coworkers. I don’t need this nonsense adventure. I might not even come back!
But then again…Equestria. I can’t even believe it’s possible. I think anyone who’s watched the show has wished at least once to visit that magical utopia. It would be a dream come true. Besides, I'm apparently going to be back in five minutes. How hard can it be to survive Equestria, of all places? If I pass this chance up now, I’ll probably regret it for the rest of my life. Not knowing the truth…that’s one of the worst tortures imaginable in my mind. No, my desires will not be denied.
“Ok, I’ll do it!” I scream. Agent Sparkle smiles and nods to Dash, who's standing behind me. Suddenly, there's a hand around my neck. “Hey! Urgh, what gives?” I scream in a panic. There's a pressure on the back of my neck. A slight tickling sensation. “Let me-AUGH!!”
There is a quite painful pinching, and I scream in pain. Agent Dash releases me however, and I spin around to face him. “The hell was that?”
“Sorry, Mr. Shane, but the implant had to graft to your skin. It’s now embedded in your spinal cord and will record your experience. Now, hurry! Follow me! We have only thirty seconds left!” I quickly realize that Agent Dash apparently ‘grafted’ the small disk to the back of my neck. Huh. He forgot to mention that part, unsurprisingly. I start to run after Dash, some mysterious force still making it difficult to move towards the portal. Inquisitively, I reach a hand to the back of my head to feel for it, but Agent Sparkle slaps it away.
“Don’t touch it for at least five minutes! Trust me,” he finishes with a grin.
“Is it safe?” I call back over my shoulder, still following Dash.
“Dash and I have had one for five years. No side effects yet!” he responds cheerily.
“Well that’s reassuring!” I reply, grating to a halt behind Dash. He gestures to a long plank that extends out over the portal. Where did that come from? And what is it…oh god. He wants me to walk out there. And jump into the crazy, screaming portal. God damn it…
Is it just me, or is there some crazy wind coming from somewhere? My jeans and sweatshirt are whipping around me, hugging to my right side. Seriously, what the hell is going on here? “Well? What are you waiting for?” Dash screams.
I shake my head nervously, my slight fear of heights adding to my already significant levels of terror. “You want me to go out there? Are you crazy?”
Agent Sparkle sure is, because he suddenly grabs me from behind and literally shoves me out onto the plank. I don’t really try to fight it, paralyzed by fear as I am, but he continues to push me out as he steadily follows. All too soon, I’m standing on the edge of a railing-free plank, suspended over a crazy portal as this wacko wind buffets me ferociously. My mind immediately flashes to that one scene from Star Wars with Luke Skywalker and the Sarlaac.
I immediately feel quite a bit worse. “Well? Are you gonna jump? Only ten seconds left!” Agent Sparkle screams in my ear. Okay, Shane. You can do this. You said you were going to. Don’t do something you’ll regret. Or something that will tear this base apart.
“Ok, I’m gonna jump!” I scream. One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready…
Suddenly, Agent Sparkle is hovering next to me, his lips a rather disturbing distance from my right ear. “Are you ready for this?” he whispers deviously.
Ignoring his intrusion of my personal space, I determinedly nod my head and tense my legs for a jump.
“No you’re not.”
With a sudden push to my back, I pitch forward and begin my rapid descent into the churning, howling vortex. I’m proud to say I don’t scream, but I do squeeze my eyes shut and let my limbs go limp. This is the end, I'm sure…at least I will die for science…
Suddenly, the tingling sensation I felt from the rock engulfs my entire body. Oooh, that felt quite nice actually. The howling and screaming immediately cuts out. The air around me grows pleasantly warmer. The crazy wind is still going, but oh well. I timidly open my eyes. Purple. Everything is very purple. Huh.
I experimentally flex my limbs and fingers. Everything seems to be just fine. As I look to my right hand, my eye catches a sudden splash of reds and oranges. I look, and there right before me is the beautiful sunrise I saw earlier. Wow…an Equestrian sunrise. It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.
I have to admit though, something feels a bit off about the whole situation. I feel…weightless. And that crazy wind is STILL going! Maybe something went wrong. I turn my head further to the right and the colors shift abruptly to verdant greens and deep browns. Yet something feels off about them. For some reason they’re blurred and distant. I reach up and check to see if my glasses are still on my face. That’s an affirmative, command. So then what is…
…Oh god. Those greens and browns are the ground. About one thousand feet below me. Which I am currently hurtling towards at terminal velocity.
“AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGHH!!!”
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Sounds interesting so far,if you'd like then I'd be willing to help discuss ideas, I can see good potential :)
My grammar sucks but i have a lot of ideas,so if you need help just let me know.
This story is Brilliant so far hopefully this will blossom!
1944481 Thanks! Honestly I have quite a few ideas on what I could do, what I really want to know is what I shouldn't do. I want to know what I can get away with without being despised.
1944759 Thank you! Again, I'm hoping to learn more about what not to do. Might as well push the limits right?
Really, if you were to actually a list of 'do not and cliches' for HiEs, then, well, none would be written. Just see where it takes you really. Interesting enough concept as it is though.
This looks like a pretty good idea. If you'd like to bounce ideas around let me know, though, I'm mostly good for comedy and non-sense type stuff.
Sounds good so far, I'd give it the green light.
I LOVE this story so far, also, I have no idea what the rules are, so I can't judge based off of them, I think that you should continue, I really would like to see this story unfold
because, it is, as Rainbow Dash says "So awesome!"
1947229 Heh, true enough. Still, I don't want to do something that would get me instantly hated. I don't like being that one guy (ok one of many) who goes on one of those alicorn OC fics and says "bro sorry, but this is just not something that is done." Extreme example I know but you get the point. Thanks for your thoughts!
1949976 Thanks for your thoughts! Unfortunately, this fic is a bit light on the 'nonsensey' stuff.
1959108 Thank you! We'll see where this goes. I have two more chapters in mind that I will write and then the tough choices arrive.
1967867 Haha, wow! I'm honored that you think so highly of my silly little idea. I'll be honest, it was a blast to write if nothing else. I think I cranked this out in like five hours haha. There's at least two more chapters guaranteed so stay tuned!
Yay, thanks
/)
1974519 (\
I think you mean "compensated".
Hmm, I don't have any ideas as to where you can take this, but I will be keeping an eye on it.
1989989
i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag40/Shanenator777/motherofme.png
I...I made a mistake? It's not perfect?? I...I don't...I can't...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag40/Shanenator777/RDscream_zps503e9811.png
My ability to boast about having perfect technical skills is tarnished forever!! I can't be perfect anymore!
i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag40/Shanenator777/icantwasher.gif
Haha, ok enough of that. I guess that's what happens when I try to rush things. I wanted to submit this before getting dragged off somewhere by my friends so I had to skim the last third or so pretty quickly for errors. Oops. Thanks a bunch for catching that, I really appreciate it. I'll get around to continuing this pretty soon methinks.
1991778 I'm so sorry!!!
iambrony.jsmart.web.id/mlp/gif/155466%20-%20animated%20crying%20fluttershy%20Windy.gif
I couldn't help it!! It just jumped out at me!!!
1992448 That's good. That's how it USUALLY works for me...dammit brain why you so fail?! Thanks a bunch though. Despite what people may say, editing is harder than it looks!