//------------------------------// // A Mind of Shadows and Truths Part 3 // Story: Legacy // by NFire //------------------------------// We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life rounded with a sleep. -----William Shakespeare ----- I ponder while sitting this night. A clear sky lets the moon shine across the land, covering it in another silvery blanket that comforts. What is it that makes us up? Are we just bits of data and durachrome? Even after so long, the answers are not forthcoming. Princess Luna and Celestia have advised me they may have a solution. Magic, it seems, can confront even the deepest problems. Though how this will work is beyond me still. I can study the works of magic, the results, even the spells. But the power that is behind it, is and will be studied by us for a long time. But I smile, staring upward, recalling yesterday. What a wonder it can be, showing ones that care what you have seen over a lifetime of experiences. Battles and conflict, of course, take the bulk of memories, for is that not what we were made for? To the opposite of that, I have seen and known many other interests not related to war. They are the things I relive when I can, the moments when somehow we were at peace for just that span of brief time. It was my pleasure to show Applejack things I remembered from so long ago, such as the Zen Gardens of the Imperial Palace of Japan before it was destroyed in an incursion. Works of art, places that no longer existed except in my databanks, things that truly showed a whole other side of humans. Beyond the cruelty, the pain and heartbreak that they could inflict upon each other; they had something inside them that allowed their race to soar to heights unimaginable. The look of pure joy on Athena’s face was worth the effort, showing her things she hadn’t known existed. Even Bolos can be surprised some times. Rarely, but it does happen. It was so very short a time. I could not take the chance of another loss of control. But for the merest hour, it was my honor to show them a little of what I had known. I did not, and still do not, wish to return to stasis. But if a breakdown in my cores does occur, I have no other option. I would rather sleep than be a threat. Inside though, in my private thoughts, I hoped that something could be done. My spirits were lifted when Princess Luna contacted me. This will be my last dream hopefully. But, I find a sense of regret as well. I look around, seeing things through different vision. There is no datafeed coming through my eyes, no ranging nor status checks. It is odd, but yet, it does not disturb me. I have chosen the night time for this, a clear sky, stars that brightly shine through a full moon’s light. It is a wondrous thing, these dreams. Even for an old Bolo such as I, it has a sense of.. otherness... that actually holds my interest. I cannot feel the cold, nor the crisp soil that crunches underneath my hooves. But it is as real as can be. The inconsistencies are baffling though, making me wonder if this is all a product of a damaged mind. I am not my avatar, but I am also not real. It does make one ponder. “A lovely dream Crusader.” The voice grabs his attention immediately, making him turn to see Princess Luna step out of a door that shimmered in the air. She stepped delicately out of the portal, letting it fade away. A pair of saddlebags cinched tight to her sides as the dark mare smiled brightly at him. “Thank you Princess.” “You do enjoy the night.” She pointed around to the sky. He looked up at her gesture, staring at the stars against the velvet backdrop, “I find it calming. Many was the time that we waited for battle under a sky such as this. Different planets, solar systems, but always stars. They were the one constant. Even through atmospheres so thick we could not see unaided, there were still stars.” She stood beside him for a moment, noting his silence as he waited politely for her to speak. “I do not know if it will work, but we may have a solution.” “We?” “Celestia and I have pored over the old tomes, a spell to cease dreams was included, but, it does mean that you will have magic near your..your..” She tapped a hoof on the ground, thinking for a moment, “Your..cores? Is that the right word?” He nodded, “Yes. Though that is worrisome. Magic can disrupt us there.” Holding a clad hoof up, she smiled once more, “Ah! But I think we may have that solved. A more gentle magic, something subtle that will slowly build up to take effect. We think this will allow the magic to work properly.” Her eyes gave him a telling look. One that said she had faith in the abilities of those and her sister. He mulled this over for a moment. He truly wanted it to work. Athena told him to have confidence in their friends, so he would. “Whatever you need to do Princess, please do.” Her eyes lit up alongside her horn, the aura deepening as her saddlebags opened, bringing out a few parts which were quickly assembled into a lantern. Antique looking and ornate, it was made of precious metals and what appeared to be blown glass of the finest sort. As she carefully pieced it together she explained. “This is the Lamp of Sleep.” She pointed at the half-assembled puzzle, “It will draw the dream energy away from you, preventing anything from occurring. Right now, my sister is installing another on your deck. The magic will encompass your being and work together from both sides to prevent dreaming.” The lantern was beautiful, crafted by such a skilled artisan it would be priceless in a Concordiat museum. A large diamond, cut in a myriad of facets was placed gently inside it before it was shut and sealed. Luna got a faraway look in her eyes for a moment, before her eyes caught his, “My sister is almost ready. We will activate them at the same time. The magic will take a while to reach full effect, but we are very confident.” She pointed to the quiet lamp, “This will exist on the dreaming plane, connected to the one on your deck, they will keep your dreams away.” The thought that an item could be immaterial, connected to something material did not bother him in the least now, though it did make him wonder at the complexity of such a thing. He had many questions he would broach with her later. “Is it sturdy? Should I have any fear of it being broken?” A slight laugh, then a hoof kicked the lantern with a resounding clang, “Of course not. We have strengthened it with everything at our disposal. Have no fear of breakage.” He smiled slightly in return, “I stand corrected, I should have known.” The Princess fussed happily with the lantern, positioning it just so. So much in fact that he was beginning to wonder if she was doing it on purpose. “You are finished, but seem not to want to leave. Is there a problem Princess?” Her head shot up, looking at him for a moment before glancing away, “Why, no! Not at all.” He was used to such things from his sister, merely looking at Luna until she sighed. The tall mare stopped fiddling with the object, sitting down with a final tap on the lamp, “I..have looked forward to these dreams of yours. They are calm, peaceful in a way I have never known Crusader.” His attention was now fully upon her, “Does something disturb you?” She looked away from him for a moment, before turning back, “No. It is just that since you first appeared in the dream plane, I have been drawn to the comfort of your thoughts.” A silver-clad hoof waved slightly, “They are different, without the needless things that others dream of. Simple, without the trappings of ostentation.” His head tilted to one side, watching her closely, “I find it is not needed Princess. Simple things can be enough to soothe a mind.” She was avoiding something, but he had no clue as to what that might be. He decided to leave it alone, if it were to be brought up she would have to do so. “They can.” She motioned around them, “The snow, the chilled air. A forest in repose. You choose quiet and solitude over imagining others.” Her voice was soft, not showing any exuberance at all. She was, to his mind, fixated on the silence around them. “Princess, what is wrong? You are reluctant to leave, you are avoiding something.” Her head shot around, piercing him with a look that conveyed many things, “Have you ever felt guilt? Guilt for past deeds?” He pondered that for long moments. Was there guilt for actions done in the past? He reviewed what he remembered, sifting files and datapoints. Oh yes, there were times... “Yes, Princess.” Her expression softened, “How did you solve it? Was there something..?” She left the sentence hanging in the air between them. “In my experience Princess, forgiving yourself is the best you can do.” He stood next to her, seeing the slumped shoulders, the slightly drooping wings, “In time, it will pass. We all make mistakes.” He held up a hoof, forestalling her reply when she opened her mouth, “My circumstances are very different from yours. I am still that same Bolo, you are no longer Nightmare Moon.” He could see that hit a nerve, his assumption correct. “But how..?” He gave her an amused look, “There is not much else for you to feel guilty about that I know of Princess. Unless a prank may have gotten out of hoof?” She laughed, “No, oh no. Though I daresay Celestia would like to toss me out of the castle some days.” Her face gentled, body taking a prouder mien, “Ah, laughter solves almost everything does it not?” “Almost, Your Highness.” She nodded and gave the lantern a final look, turning her eyes to him once more, “Thank you.” “You are always welcome Highness,” He continued before she could ask, “Nothing will ever be said, you have my word.” Cyan eyes looked out over the silent fields, the Princess standing for a moment before once more setting down. A rustle of wings pinning themselves tight against her side before she glanced at him once more. “May I ask a question?” “You are always welcome to Your Highness, I will answer as best I can.” She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment as Crusader sat calmly. “You have been like a stone wall, steadfast and worthy in your resolve through many things.” She hesitated, then went on, “Have you ever been frightened?” The answer was immediate, “Yes.” The look of shock registered one the Night Mare’s face, “Truly? You who command such power?” The umber pony nodded, his whole demeanor telling her that what he said was no half-truth, “Truly.” He tilted his head once more, “Why do you ask?” “Because nopony seems to want to ask. You are there, constantly, through bad and good times. Yet, it is never asked how you feel about things.” Another amused look, “I assume it is because others are busy with their own problems Princess. Also, perhaps, because my solutions are very permanent.” Luna laughed, “There is that. You do have a simple way of putting things.” She gestured with a hoof once more, “So, while my sister is preparing her side of the Lamp, tell me what frightened you?” “Some things are best left alone Princess.” Eyebrows shot up, “Perhaps. But I would better understand you.” Luna leaned forward, “Tell me what was it that affected a pony like yourself? Well, besides this situation of course.” He eyed her for a moment, seeing the open and honest look, “As you wish.” The forest faded, becoming a view of four Bolos racing across a landscape. The huge treads were digging deep into what looked like fertile soil, the skies covered with clouds raining down upon them as voices began to speak. “I was less than a century in service...” The Princess inhaled sharply as she felt everything, heard it all, became one with the vision. ----- “Alright, so what’s got Bolo Command all fired up they drop four of us on one lousy planet?” The voice was gruff, but worried. The communications bands were clear as a bell, nothing impeding them, no jamming, no other signals in the spectrum. This in itself was odd because this was a heavily colonized planet, approximately half a million humans lived and worked here. An agri-planet, it served to provide foodstuffs for an ever hungry Concordiat. Shipping it out daily by the mega-ton, the huge cargo ships shot through space to deliver fresh food to hundreds of allied planets. But now, the ships had stopped. All communications lost with planetary control. Even the Defense Force bands were eerily quiet. Not a crackle was heard over the electromagnetic spectrum. Bolo Command, indeed even Concordiat High Command, were worried one of the breadbasket planets had been taken by an enemy. Orders came directly from the President’s Office. Find out why this planet had gone silent. Four of the biggest Siege Units at that time were dropped in a screaming entry onto the planet’s surface, well away from any city or town, unobserved they hoped. Before the Bolo transports and cruisers shot off on a lazy orbit to await them, they reported nothing, no movement, no comms traffic. Into this silence came Crusader and his companions. After discarding the re-entry shells they had taken off at a fast clip across a hilly countryside, slashing through millions of hectares of wheat and other foods in their rush to confront whatever it was that had taken the voice away from this planet. Deep in each hull was a very special squad of troopers. Concordiat Delta Shock Troops. Led by a battle-hardened Colonel, they were heavily augmented and beefed up with the latest in nanotech and weaponry, each of them was an entire company by themselves. Well-trained and tempered by war, they killed without compunction or mercy. And they were as human as the Bolo officers themselves. “Would you PLEASE slow down for a while? We’d like to at least eat in peace before getting shot up!” The gravelly voice came over the coms, irritated in a way, but understanding the urgency. “Oh give it a rest, not like you’re having escargot or something down there!” The Bolo officers laughed, the video screens showing them as well as the commanders of the Delta detachments. An irritated face leaned close to the camera pick-up, eyes narrowed in a dangerous way, “I hate snails, slimy little buggers.” A thick finger pointed at the lens, “And I would like to eat in peace for just one minute before jumping out of this fancy machine to do my job.” The Bolo officer gulped actually, quite loudly as he moved back slightly from the vicious looking face on the screen which broke into a loud laugh. The severe face broke into a grin, “You Bolo types are so easy! Ha! Got you!” The troops behind him were joining in at the little joke, laughter echoing through the cargo bay. “I still hate snails though. But why the all-fired hurry?” Timothy Genger, commander of Unit of the Line MNR (Minerva) answered, “We’re on a strike plan, get in fast and see what happened, then get right back out. We’ve got no time to waste. Command wants a report ASAP.” The craggy face nodded, “Understood. Any ideas what this could be?” Lon Atwood, commander of Unit MLK (Mielikki) joined in, “We don’t know.” At the astonished looks he continued, “Seriously. Even Bolo Command had no clue what was going on, that’s why they’ve stationed our escort cruisers in the outer rings. They’re there in case we fail.” The Delta Detachment Commander ensconced in Crusader was nodding, “Yeah, they didn’t give us much warning. Pulled us off an op in the Sagista Sector.” He shook his head from side to side, “This thing must have them scared down to their diapers up there in command.” “It does. A planet going suddenly quiet.” The last and final Bolo Commander joined in, Tara Wilder, in charge of Unit OIN (Omoikane). “They shipped us out of the regiment so fast we barely had time to pack at the depot.” The four Bolos were loaded to the brim with weaponry, supplies and anything else that Command thought they would need. “Aren’t four Siege Class Units a little much though?” “Well, you know Bolo Command. When it has to be crushed, crush it right.” A musical sounding female voice came over the commlinks, “We are approaching the first domes, a small village named Tegla. Consisting of approximately five thousand farmers and their families, harvesters and shipping personnel.” The populace lived in domes, easier to keep warm and dry when weather was ripping through the lands. It was safer for the civilians as sometimes the atmosphere could produce quite odd storm fronts. Either way, the food grown here grew fast and healthy, it was a very strange dichotomy. “Got it Mielikki. Let’s slow it down folks, approach pattern Golf, spread out and let the troops make entry first.” Acknowledgements flowed over the links, faces turning to rally troops. “So Lon, when you getting the Unicorn painted on her side?” A teasing voice was heard by all the officers, making them turn back to the cameras. Lon‘s teeth ground as his jaw tensed up, “I swear to god. I find out which one of you showed her that old game I’ll cut you into little pieces!” “Oh, give it a rest”, Crusader’s Commander opined, “It’s not that bad and she does sound nice with the voice change.” The musical tones piped up through the commnet, “Why, thank you!” “Very welcome Mielikki.” “Stop encouraging her!” Lon’s face was exasperated, “Regimental Command was having fits. All of a sudden a Bolo thinks they’re named after a...a.. what was it? Ranger goddess? They almost redlined her permanently!” “Hey, they’re used to it. And who’s to say she’s not? I mean really, could be worse.” That was from a Delta noncom who’d been on missions alongside the regiment before, knowing the odd proclivities of the Bolos in the unit. Delta troops kept many, many secrets well. “Fine, I give up, she can be a game goddess if she wants!” “Hey, could have been Demigorgon. I mean that would be just awful, all that evilness and stuff. Least she’s a nature goddess, and cute too! Rangers are awesome anyways.” The commbands grew quiet as eyes slowly moved on screen to look at the Sergeant in Omoikane’s hull who was grinning from ear to ear. Lon’s finger shot out and pointed, “You! It was you? You..I..augh!” He slapped a hand to his forehead, “And they call us weird!” “Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it. We’ve got a game going later after the battle, come on down.” A murmur in the background made him turn, then look back into the camera, “Oh yeah, all you other guys are invited, we got the beer.” Crusader’s officer at the time was one Thomas Declan, he was nodding into the camera, “I’ll be there! We can relax ‘till retrieval. The cruisers and Bolo transports aren’t gonna be able to pick us up quick on a low burn trajectory. Going to be a few days or so of nothing to do if this is all a bust.” Genger added his thoughts, which silenced anymore conversation, “Depending on what we find. Nothing silences an entire colony this fast.” All the faces on video looked away, lost in their own reasoning as to what could have possibly happened to the colonists. ----- Luna’s voice was very soft, watching the dreamscape change and move as Crusader remembered, “Surely with such might you had nothing to fear?” An umber head shook sadly, “The galaxy was big and we were but a small part of it, large as the Concordiat was. There was still much that was unknown Princess.” The story continued as Luna gazed with wide eyes at a memory of something so long ago she could barely conceive of it. ----- Ramps dropped, specialized vehicles whipped out of the tremendous Bolo hulls and took off towards a dome in the distance. Delta troops were armed with the latest and greatest, moving at a fast clip towards the domes in the distance. “We’re out. Approach pattern Lima, stand ready on the guns, we don’t know what to expect so let’s be heavy-handed here.” “Copy that Colonel. Anything on comms?” Crusader answered for the Bolo team, “Nothing. All bands are silent, there is nothing on any frequency. Thermal and infra-scans are showing nothing moving, nor alive in the outer dome, but emergency internal dome shielding is activated, preventing us from looking deeper.” “Yeah, those things are pretty well built. Just be prepared for a fast pick up if we run into trouble.” Tara Wilders’ voice came calmly over the bands, “We’ve got your back Colonel, be careful.” “Always ma’am, we’ll let you know. Delta out.” Helmet cameras picked up anything the troopers looked at, providing a field of view that encompassed everything as they approached the silent town. The dome gleamed in the new sun that peeked out from behind the gray clouds, giving the impression of a dawning day. A loading bay door was partially open in the smooth surface of the dome, the scanners picking it up and changing the vehicles course so they arrived in a pattern of attack. Troops jumped out, speeding to surround either side of it as a technician raised a snooper. The snooper was a small drone, riding on anti-gravs it peeked into areas that were out of sight, giving the Delta forces a chance to see the enemy before they were found out. The little box went gliding inside the dome, camera views split between all the troops and the feed from the silent little spy. “Loading bay.. There’s the harvesters.” A voice commented as the tiny box glided around the huge warehouse installation. This was the exit and entry to the dome for the machines that brought back the mega-tons of food to be packaged and shot into space. “Looks like they dropped what they were doing and...I dunno. I don’t see anyone.” The technician was puzzled as his little friend slid around huge machines. Nothing but silence greeted it as it continued the exploration. “Where the hell did all the people go?” “No clue Colonel, your guess is as good as mine.” “Anything on the spectrums?” “No chemical weapons detected, no biologics, nothing. It’s weird, this air is as sterile as it gets. Got a hint of possible weapons fire coming from the passageway to the main dome, but that’s it. It’s all internal air, they’ve shut off outside venting for some reason so I don’t know what’s inside. Just a few stray things leaking through the filters.” “I dunno bout you guys, but this is spooky.” A trooper mused over the comm. The Colonel wasn’t one for the rules, not reprimanding the soldier for cutting in, “You damn sure got that right.” A moment of silence before the frequencies crackled again, “All right, follow the drone in. Keep it tight, keep it light and heads on a swivel. Understood?” The Colonel’s voice was sounding concerned. Acknowledgements came through as the armored forms swept in under the partially opened bay door, weapons pointed outwards as their armor and eyes searched for targets. “Clear.” “Clear” “Clear.” “We have achieved an unprecedented state of clear here.” “Higgs, I swear...” Nervous laughter broke the silence, even the Delta troops were unnerved by the absolute quiet inside the bay. Nothing moved, nothing spoke, nothing registered as alive anywhere in range of their sensory equipment. The Bolos moved up, ringing the dome and pinging it with everything they had, ranging lasers swept over the outside, guns loaded and targeted for pinpoint fire if needed. Nothing. Wilders’ voice broke the Bolo-net silence, “This is really weird.” “You ain’t kidding. There’s nothing on the scanners.” “Don’t they have pets? I know they raise cattle in the domes for meat, where’s the animals?” Omoikane’s voice answered that query. “Scanners register nothing alive in that dome. Records indicate approximately one thousand head of cattle for local production. There is no movement. Shielding prevents our getting deeper reads on the inner areas, but as for the outer, nothing lives.” “Alright,” The Delta Colonel was listening in, “Move deeper into the dome, step by step my children. Nice and easy.” The cameras followed a passageway, one for access by people on foot towards the inner living areas. It was almost boring until they reached the inner atmosphere-proof doors, clamped down and shut, the alarm light was flashing, signifying an emergency shutdown of all access-ways into the dome. “Airlocks are sealed.” A technician was already by the door panel, hooking a scanner into the wires behind a panel he had quickly pried off, “Emergency protocols were activated two days ago, they’ve locked themselves in.” “Why?” “Nothing to read locally, we’ll have to get to the command center for any logs.” “Alright, open the doors, slowly. Let’s make a line to the command area first. We need to find out what happened here.” The technician pressed a few buttons on his pad screen, letting the heavy door slide open enough for them to get in without hindrance. “Go!” The four squads piled in, quickly, quietly and with an efficiency that impressed even the watching Bolos. “Gregor, on point, give us a read.” They all crouched in another short passage, leading into the main living and shopping areas of the dome. It was clean and neat, no trash, nothing that gave any indication anything was wrong. The singled trooper nodded, his helmet bobbing before he slowly walked around the corner. His helmet cam showed the view as he crept almost silently into the open end of the tunnel, emptying into a plaza that according to the maps should be filled with shops. He quickly ran into an improvised barrier in the way, using a fiber optic camera to look over it for a quick peek. “Holy...” It was a war zone. Shattered storefronts covered the open area with glass, signs hung lazily off of posts that had been tumbled over in the destruction. There was clear signs of energy weapons used in the area, everything was broken and smashed. Electric vehicles lay on their sides, some burned out wrecks, the fires long since extinguished, the smoke filtered by the internal air systems. Barricades had been hastily set up facing the passageway, furniture and other items thrown together in an attempt to stop...someone. “What the hell?” The rest of the detachment had moved up at Gregor’s exclamation, crouched as they peeked over a barrier that had been thrown up in front of the passage, giving them an amount of cover. “Anything?” “Got nothing, no decomp, nothing.” “Where are the bodies?” “Guess we’re gonna do this horror-movie style right?” “What?” “You know, split up, someone gets whacked, letting us know some bad guy is around?” “Oh, that’s just brilliant...” “Dumbass.” The Colonel’s voice came over the net, “Knock it off. No one splits up. We keep it tight and we get to the command center first, got it?” Silent assent from everyone. “Alright, we’ve got the dome plans, let’s get moving. Sing out if you see anything.” The cameras showed movement, the passage of scarred walls bearing holes and burn marks from various weaponry. A split screen had dots, corresponding with the trackers implanted in every trooper. Wreckage was everywhere, the remains of a fierce battle fought over or against someone, or something. The soldiers made no sound, taking in everything for review later. “Coming up on command building. Right around the cor..whoa..” The technician was looking at the datafeed from his drone, seeing another barricade in front of the building. The remains of a few armored vehicles were in between stacks of ripped out walls from the interior of the building that made up the barricade. It appeared the local Defense Unit put up a hell of a fight. “Careful...” “Nothing..again.” The troops moved towards the closed doors. Easing them open and taking a peek inside, waving low they entered the building to find the same destruction as the outside. They piled into the stairway, making good time to the upper floor. “Spread out, secure the area. Find central comp and get into the files. Move.” The Colonel’s voice was like steel as the soldiers cleared the area with efficiency and sat in place to defend it as their technician hooked into the console that contained the domes central core. “I’m in.” He pointed to a large screen which lit up. A scrambled sound came through, then a face. “Not much in here, things are pretty messed up.” The harried face of a woman appeared, looking over her shoulder. “We don’t know what it..they..whatever it is! We’ve locked ourselves in and can’t even get the sensors to pick anything up. It..” Her face turned into a mask of fear, flipping around as the scrambled records went blank, the last thing they heard was the screaming. The Delta tech looked up, “That’s it, everything else got wiped. Some sort of EMP burst hit the servers.” Every eye that was not looking outward, centered on the Colonel. He was looking at the floor, lost in thought for a moment before his head snapped up, “All right, grab what we can from the servers and let’s blow this place. We need to get to the main domes in Altern.” The soldiers were more than happy to comply, stripping out any optical storage cubes and heading outward from the control area. As the Bolos and their officers observed the bug out, one Delta trooper reached out, tapping another as a nervous voice came over the comms. “We’re being watched. Don’t ask me how I know, but we’re being watched.” “Drop!” The order made the entire group turn outward and kneel, forming a ring with the Colonel in the center. Weapons held steady as eyes and sensor gear searched the immediate area. “How sure?” “Sure enough it made my hackles rise.” “Anyone?” Negatives were all that replied. Special Forces troops were known for their calm in battle, anything that made them nervous got very dead very quickly. “Move. Move now. Get to the loading bay and hit the vehicles. Bolo team, we need a pickup on the fly, copy?” Lon’s voice replied, “Weve got you covered, get out of there.” “Ain’t gotta tell us twice.” The entire team moved, and moved fast. Putting on speed, they leapt the barricades. Any pretense of stealth was gone in an instant as the deadly armored forms thundered down the passageway and into the loading bay. Skidding underneath the doors, they piled into vehicles that immediately headed for Bolos that were already moving out. Ramps received them as the huge machines turned toward the capital. They were not moving top speed this time, taking a very circuitous course to keep hills and mountains between then and any observers. Their speed was low to prevent dust trails for now until the debrief was over. Genger reported, “Sats are still down, Minerva’s commandeered the systems by hacking into them.” “Anything?” “Still nothing. What did you find in the dome?” The screen replayed everything, including more footage not seen at the time. It didn’t add anything except to the confusion they all felt. “That’s it? Not a whole lot to go on.” The Delta commander shrugged, “That’s it, an EMP got the rest and there was nothing in the dome. We didn’t even pick up body traces of cattle or even pets. Like everything was just..gone.” Tara’s voice came over the commlink, sounding a bit disturbed, “Now what the hell can get rid of five thousand people including a herd of cattle?” A hulking Delta soldier shrugged, “Ma’am, we’ve seen some weird stuff in our lives, but this one is definitely the oddest.” “No, there was something there.” All eyes turned to the soldier who’d reported being watched, “I’m telling you, I felt it. I could feel every hair on my body stand on end. Something was in that dome with us.” Silence rang out for a moment before the Colonel nodded, “We can’t go on feelings. The main dome has better defenses and recording capabilities. We’ll pick up the information we need there.” “And if not?” “Then those cruisers will blow everything away. We can’t take any chances of whatever this is spreading.” That gave them all pause, thinking of an entire colony wiped off the planet. ----- A shudder ran through the Princess as she watched the images closely. “But..but what was it? What took all those beings away?” Crusader didn’t answer, he just remembered. ----- “All right folks, we’re at the main domes. We’ve got the center command structure and six outlying.” The Colonel’s voice was very precise as the Bolo officers watched the briefing alongside the troops. “We get in, get out with any data. Along the way we record everything. The Bolos tell us nothing is moving inside, they can’t see very well through the shielding, but I’m calling it. If it moves, if it’s hostile, kill it.” He looked into every camera lens, every eye, “I don’t care who or what it is. We do not take prisoners until we find out what is going on.” Once again the Bolos took up cardinal points around the domes, scanners pinging and ranging as deep as they could at the highest resolution possible. Nothing was showing on their screens as the troops made a swift entry into the center area. Spreading out along the main thoroughfare, they scanned rooftops and doorways. Every shadow was scrutinized, every corner was taken in a dynamic way. Nothing was left to chance. There were no bodies, not even insects in the dome. It was a dead silence that greeted and followed them along the road. Vehicles stood empty, houses gaped like skulls with windows like eyes looking out towards the increasingly baffled troops. The central control was a tall building in the direct center of the dome, overseeing all the low-lying suburbs around it. It controlled the weather inside the domicile and all data traffic as well as the space-going fleet that fed other worlds. “Boss, I got something.” A trooper held out his arm, a scanner hologram lighting the armored face as he pointed towards a small shop. “Something moved, corner of my eye type thing, but it was there.” “Go.” The single word had them all shooting into motion, almost blurs as they entered the building and surrounding it. Weapons high as they searched every nook and cranny for a long minute, finally giving the all clear. “Nothing.” A sergeant gave the word, waving the others out as they backed away from the building, never taking eyes off it. The big noncom was standing in the street eyeing it for a moment before he shivered, “Something’s wrong here, we’re being watched.” “I feel it.” The Colonel’s voice was calm, “It’s grating my nerves to a raw edge.” “Boss..” The nervous voice made them all turn to look at a large trooper with ‘Hughes’ stenciled across his armored front, “Boss, we need to leave.” “What are you talking about?” “Something isn’t right. I know it isn’t. Boss we need to bug out now.” Inside the Bolos the officers were eyeing each other on a private channel, “Mielikki, call up his stats.” Lon’s voice was monotone as he looked at the troopers readouts. Tara Wilders voice was amazed, “That man is scared to his toes. Look at that.” “Is it subsonics? Is there something we’re not seeing?” Crusader’s voice was calm and even, “Negative. There are no known weapons being deployed at this moment towards those troops. We are scanning even the higher and lower frequencies. If they are being affected, it is nothing we have seen.” Minerva, Mielikki and Omoikane agreed, adding their own input. They watched as the Colonel had a private chat with the trooper, the augment soldier nodding and joining the rest of the group as they ran for the control center. The Colonel’s voice came over a private encrypted channel, “You watching that?” “We were Colonel, what’s going on?” Declan was monitoring the readouts from each trooper along with Crusader. “That boy is scared, I mean deeply afraid. My boys and girls do not get that way. I’ve seen them face off Heimdalls with just energy weapons. Something’s wrong, can you tell me what it is?” Crusader’s officer shook his head, “Colonel, we’ve got nothing. We are scanning with everything we have and absolutely nothing is showing up.” “Find me an answer.” The steel in the Colonels voice had them nodding. “We’ll try.” The link clicked off, the Bolos and officers watched as they approached the central control building. A large auditorium was on the bottom floor for meetings and festivities, the doors wide open as they crept up on it. A hand signal, a silent nod and the troops swept into the quiet edifice. Bare moments passed before a voice was heard, the armor cams showing nothing but movement that blurred everything. “Oh my... Back! Back! Outside now!” A flurry of movement from the cameras gave the watching Bolos and their commanders no time to see what was going on. It stabilized when the Delta troops regrouped outside, setting up a perimeter in a small alley they could defend. Tara’s voice broke the silence, “What the hell was that? Omo, break that down and give me a frame by frame, slow it down for the others.” Gasps and exclamations came over the private link as Omoikane’s cores rapidly processed the recording. It showed the entryway, the darkness inside until the camera adjusted for low light. It was a horror. Bodies were piled high in the auditorium, stacked in a myriad of ways they almost reached the high ceiling at some points. Pale faces stared out of the recording, lips peeled back in masks of fear. Claw-like hands grasped at the air, frozen in time forever as they reached upward. Eyes were open, staring at eternity in a way that you knew, absolutely knew that they had died and died hard. Men, women, children, the domes inhabitants took up a good amount of space. It was not all of them, as the main domes held tens of thousands more. “Tell me what that was!” The Colonel was asking for answers. A tech raised his scanner arm, “I’ve got nothing.” “You can’t have nothing!” “No, that’s not what I mean..ah..sorry boss. I meant there is nothing alive in here. Not a single bacteria, nothing. This place is as dead as if it were irradiated. It’s like the whole dome has been sterilized down to the molecular level.” He was tapping his readouts, looking as deep as his armor would let him. “What in god’s name could have caused this?” “Colonel, we’ve got nothing on our end either.” Thomas’ voice was abashed, “We didn’t think to scan deep, we were looking for an enemy. This whole area is dead. Even the soil is sterile. Nothing lives near these domes.” The Colonel had been through many scenarios, ones that would turn your hair white then make it fall out. He knew his troops, knew this was something so bad that they couldn’t get a handle on it. They needed the data. “Okay, boys and girls. We take this slow and easy. Weapons up and hot, we take the floors one by one and get to the command center. Strip those datacubes and we leave. Easy as pie right?” Silent heads nodded. “Use the stairs only. Do not spread out. We will take it careful all the way up. Trahn, what floor is the command center on?” “Third floor, middle of the area, it was centralized.” “That’s it then. Let’s move with a purpose.” The forty troops moved swiftly, ignoring the gory scene in the first floor, they slammed into the large stairwell, looking up and down making sure nothing moved. Everyone of them was on edge. You can’t unsee things like this and it had been recorded for posterity in the Bolo teams cores as well. Bolo Command was going to play merry hob with them for a while trying to get an explanation. Silence reigned on the Bolo decks as they watched through the armor cams. Walls flashed past, steps were muted as each stair was taken carefully and with caution. It made for a nerve-racking experience until they reached the third floor. While this was happening, the four Bolos initiated TSDS, meshing together in one mind to help in any way they could. “Unknown enemy. Suppositions?” “New life form, unknown to Concordiat as of yet.” “Biological weapon, deployed stealthily on the domes.” “Disease. Possibly from crops, or some new strain along with the gene-gineered plants.” “We have many choices.” “True. This..whatever it may be seems to cause extreme problems in any humanoid form.” The pictures of corpses flashed through the links, showing clawed hands reaching or grabbing at something. The fear indelibly printed on faces that were bereft of any life. The four Bolos wrapped up quickly, deciding to be wary of anything and everything as they could pin down nothing that gave them more than a thirty-three percent chance of being right. Bolos had been confounded before, but there was always a solution somewhere. In this case, there was none. “Third floor, you guys receiving us all right?” “We’ve got you Colonel. Got an update. The Bolos have concurred with us that this is a true unknown, we have nothing that could help you for now.” This shocked the Delta Officer. Bolos had and were always thought of as having solutions normal minds did not. To have four of the finest AI’s in the galaxy say they were stumped, did not hearten him or his troops. “I copy.” He led them into the command center, sweeping the entire floor before returning to a locked door. Kicking it with one booted foot propelled it into the room where the soldiers followed. Nothing moved, all was silent once again as the armored forms stood stock still, waiting, hoping, perhaps praying something would give them a reason to kill. Snouts of heavy weapons searched along with eyes for any hint of movement. The lights blinked quietly on consoles, the optical cubes in their racks held tremendous amounts of data for the planet and it’s harvests. Bodies lay on the floor, or in chairs where they had died. Faces locked in screaming terror as they had been cut down so fast they didn’t have a chance to respond. “Grab the cubes we need, go!” Two Delta techs ran to the racks, scanning them and picking out the cubes containing everyday logs of operations along the whole planet. Busily stuffing them into packs, they finished in a flat minute. “We’re good.” “Alright, let’s..” The Colonels voice was interrupted by the Sergeant. “Boss. S..s...something’s wrong..” His voice was shaking as they all turned, seeing the armored form practically shivering in the cool air of the command center. The gloved hands gripping an energy weapon were loose and rattling, his whole body shaking. “Trahn? What’s going on..” He stopped speaking, watching his soldier. Back on the Bolos, the readouts were flashing alarms. “Thom, Trahn’s heart rate just shot up, his adrenaline is spiking. They’ve got to calm him down or his heart is going to blow!” Tara’s voice was almost panicked. “I know! I know!” He switched over to the common push, “Colonel, tranq him quick!” A medic was at Trahn’s side immediately, opening a port in the hermetically sealed armor, he slammed an injector into it, making contact with the skin and shoving a large dose of a quick acting tranquilizer into the shaking soldier. “Got it boss..vitals coming down..” The medic was tapping into the armor through a dataport, watching a small screen inside his helmet on a HUD. “Wait...wait..they’re going back up! Oh god they’re sky-rocketing!” They watched from the command decks, hearing the grunts, then the weapon dropping on the floor of the control center. His vital signs were off the charts, everything was going bonkers. Then he started screaming. Everyone flinched, even the solid soldiers getting ready to leave. They’d all heard the wounded yelling, they’d heard anger and pain in it’s myriad ways. Nothing, but absolute nothing could compare to this. It went on...and on..Trahn barely taking a breath before he’d start screaming again. It was so loud the medic cut the commlink, shoving more and more medication in through ports to try and calm him down. Hands reached upward, clawing at..something..trying to grab onto eyes or ears they couldn’t tell in their armored suits. It was over in seconds. Trahn’s bulk hitting the floor face first as the horrified Bolo officers watched his vital signs flatline. “Crusader! Targets!” “We have none. Sensors linked through armor show nothing moving except the Delta contingent.” “Full scan! Give me something!” “I am sorry Commander, sensor suites say there is nothing there.” A finger pointed to the flat-lined readouts from Trahn’s armor, “He’s DEAD! Don’t tell me there’s nothing!” Crusader’s voice grew warmer, “Thomas, I can do nothing but tell you the truth. We see nothing, there are no enemy targets.” The others were receiving the same reports from the puzzled Bolos. There was nothing there. They could find no reason why that trooper, to their minds, should have died. “Colonel! Abort the mission! Get out of there now!” There was no hesitation in the Colonel’s voice, “Move! Grab Trahn and go, we stop for nothing!” Two soldiers grabbed the fallen Trahn, hefting his armor easily between them. Point men took the door and made sure nothing was out of their sight. Together the troops practically jumped down the stairway landing by landing. Out into the street they spilled before a wavering voice came over the comms. “C..Colonel?” The grizzled veteran turned to see Hughes shaking like a leaf, his weapon clattering on the street as he grabbed at his head, the screaming was torturous on the links. The big trooper went to his knees as the medic tried once again to stop the wailing, the pained noise that dug deep into each of them as they could only stand helpless and watch the soldier tumble over silent into the quiet street. “Enough!” The Colonel’s voice was hard, “Recon by fire all points! NOW!” The remaining soldiers kneeled and turned outward in a circle, weapons unleashing a hellish torrent of fire at anything and everything they figured would be hiding an enemy. Storefronts collapsed, vehicles that were burned once, burned again. Reloading and firing, grenades thrown by tireless arms, explosions rocked the inner dome for a long minute. Silence descended once more, the only sounds the clacking of magazines rammed into place, explosives clamped to belts and bandoleers. Weapons up and shoulder stocks rammed into place on armored forms as they were like statues, waiting for any movement. “Move!” Up they came like titans, grabbing their fallen and rushing for the passageway out. “Pinpoint fire, all units, cover their exit!” The command came from Tara Wilder, her Bolo already snapping infinite repeater turrets around and slamming rounds into the dome. The heavy material cracked and shattered under the pummeling, shards falling into the inner dome as the weapons fire followed the retreating troops. Even the smallest of the weaponry that Bolos carried did massive amounts of damage. The falling pieces of dome, exploding buildings did not hamper the retreat though. It didn’t even stop the screams. Ear piercing sounds that stuck with you forever, coming from troops that had been in the worst battles imaginable they were screaming in terror as more helpless troops dropped in place, falling flat on the road way as the rest of them ran for the shelter of the Bolos waiting for them outside. Ten fast moving forms cleared the domes as the Bolos could only watch. Their weapons fire hammering around the running troops as the ground was churned up by explosions. Getting into a single vehicle it ran for the nearest hull, Crusader’s. The Colonel’s voice was strained as it came over the comm, “I’m declaring a Code Black! Contact the cruisers, get them on a fast burn to pick us all up!” Code Black was the be all, end all of situations. Unknown enemy, unknown strengths. Destroy it. “Blow those domes now! Flatten them!” The Bolos did not hesitate. Heavy weapons flashed as the officers watched, Hellbores snapped around so fast they were but blurs before the nuclear fire burned the domes. The tiny vehicle was picked up and the Bolos retreated. Sprint speed kicked up dust and crops as the heavy hulls moved away from the damned place as fast as their treads could take them. VLS plates opened and rang on the hulls as missiles rose in columns of fire, the warheads adjusted for a limited nuclear strike on what was once a vibrant colony. Every turret was turned backwards, pouring fire into the domes and leaving nothing standing. Four Siege Units contained enough power to destroy a planet, they used all of it on the colony. The hulls rocked as shock waves reached them, pushing them forward as magazines were clanging into place. Another wave of cruise missiles launched upward into the now clear sky, their contrails pointing towards the remnants of the colony. The troops were on the bay floor, peeling armor off and looking defeated. They’d run into something never expected and lost, badly. Crusader flicked through his cameras, something was bothering him for some reason. His mind working hard as they tried to.. Another scream pierced his microphones, making him switch to the cameras in the bay, seeing the troops grabbing the air as they keeled over in place. One by one they grabbed at their heads, their chests, hearts bursting inside them from pure fear as they fell over, one by one, to leave nothing but silence and echoes. It was inside his hull! He acted immediately. All internal security went into overdrive, power guns dropping from hidden compartments and searching for intruders. He could do nothing for the brave soldiers now silent on the floor of his bay. “Intruder in my hull! Commencing evacuation of commanding officer now!” Acknowledgements came from the others as they turned in place, all their heavy weaponry now aimed at Crusader. “Thomas, please move into the evacuation chair now.” “Wha..What’s..” The officer had been caught off guard by the intrusion alarms that were blaring. He did not second guess his Bolo, slamming his butt into the command chair as a clamshell of thick durasteel closed over him. A secondary shell crashed shut as well, the interstices being filled with a foam that solidified into an insulation that would absorb any shocks. Crusader did not pause, blowing the accessway hatches that allowed the capsule to be fired upward by powerful solid fuel boosters implanted in the bottom of the durasteel covering. Declan was holding tight inside it as Crusader’s voice came over the commlink, calm as always. “Minerva is making pickup, prepare for impact. I will deal with the intruders commander.” His jaw was taut, thinking of those poor soldiers and now whatever it was inside his Bolo’s hull. “Whatever it is Crusader, make it pay.” “Acknowledged.” Inside Crusader, all was silent except for the alarms. The red lights illuminated spaces everywhere so there were no shadows, no hiding places for anyone, or anything, inside him. His cores were calculating possibilities, powerguns swiveling and turning on ball joints, looking for anything to kill. He saw nothing except the troops lying quiet in the bay now, his scans and sweeps finding.. Then he felt it, his programming stuttering as he attempted to pin it down. But he knew what it was, he had seen it but never experienced it in his life. Fear. Unadulterated fear was permeating his cores and arrays. ----- Luna gasped, pressing a hoof to her chest. She was feeling his memories as a deep, in your bones emotion that was infecting him. ----- Power gauges spiked as he went into hyper-heuristic mode, slowing down the world outside as he tried to figure out exactly what was intruding. But even then he felt the tendrils creeping inside, causing him to be afraid, to want to run and never look back. He fought back, his will and everything he had learned over two centuries coming to the fore against this unknown. This ..thing.. that dare invade him! The fear was getting stronger, it was soaking in like a sponge sopping up water. He could not keep control of his cores for very much longer, the urge to run was taking over his will to fight. It could not grab a hold of him unlike a biological entity. It seemed to be having problems adjusting to a digital mind. Perhaps he could drive it out, make it vacate his war hull. He over-pressurized his interior, bringing it up to many atmospheres more than the outside.Then he blew every hatch on himself. The metal doors spinning through the air as the other bolos watched him vent everything on the inside. Along with the over pressurization he threw in a war agent, a nasty little nerve gas meant for intruders. It followed the passageways along with the air that was venting in violence along his hull. The other Bolos watched and waited. Were he not able to contain the intruder or kill it, they would do the job for him. “Retreat to your survival center, we will do a pickup!” Minerva was swinging back around to block any route of escape. “I ..I..can..cannot.. I am afraid Minerva.” There was silence for long nanoseconds, “It is generating a tremendous..fear...inside me. I am not able to retreat.” In truth, he did not wish to retreat, to give up in the face of the enemy. His overpressure tactic was slowing down, the hatches all gone as he vented the last of his inner atmosphere into the planets own’. The fear, the emotion was still palpable. It remained ensconced deep inside him as he tried to turn it aside. Ever since the inception of autonomous Bolo AI’s they had felt emotion. Grief, anger, even pride. But fear was truly unknown, they had never known it even against the mightiest of enemies. But it faded, almost as quickly as it came. The tendrils withdrew and left his cores feeling..exhausted. He regained control immediately, linking into the communications. “Hull is clear. I am in control.” “Are you sure the enemy has left?” Omoikane was sounding more curious than anything else. “No, I cannot be sure.” Minerva sounded off, “We have Thomas, he is safe.” Mielikki’s musical voice came over the links, “Crusader, you must retreat to your survival center. We have an unknown enemy and we cannot let your hull be taken back by transport. I am so sorry.” “I understand, we cannot take the chance. Activating ejection procedure, retreating now.” His personality moved from the larger cores into the heavily armored survival center. Retaining bolts destroyed themselves as the sphere containing most of who he was jerked, then dropped one level. Special panels blew in a massive outburst, throwing tons of durasteel high into the air as the sphere rolled out into the light, slamming into the ground and away from his hull which was now being directed by the other officers towards the horizon. The minimal sensor suite showed him the destruction of his hull, a tinge of loss following as he had been in it for decades. Hellbores left nothing intact, melting down and destroying everything. They could leave nothing to chance. This he understood. It did not dull the pain of the loss of his hull. The battles in its past held a history that could not be replaced. But he had his memories. For years afterward, he was questioned by other Bolos. What was this enemy, what did it feel like? He could only open up his memories and let them experience it for themselves, leaving silence afterwards. The planet was interdicted permanently. Concordiat Command and their scientists concluding an unknown life-form was evident on the planet and that it was inimical to humans. This was proven time and again when specialized troops were dropped in small teams, attempting to find out what it was. They never returned. Luna watched as the memory faded, leaving the silent forest and fields once more. Her whole body shivered with the emotion she had felt, feeling a chill deep in herself. She glanced over to see Crusader looking off into the distance, his blue eyes shimmering with what looked almost like tears. “Are you all right?” He nodded, “I am. They were very courageous, the Colonel and his soldiers. They did not deserve to die like that.” A gentle hoof lay on his shoulder, making him turn to see the dark, pretty face looking at him with concern. “It was not your fault, nor those of your companions.” “I know that Your Highness.” He reached up with a hoof, wiping at an eye, “But it does not keep me from remembering them as brave and true.” He stared at that same hoof for a moment before setting it down. She felt him once again wrap himself in an intangible armor, surrounding his person with an unbreakable wall once his hoof hit the snow. Luna knew why he did this, to retain control. A smile reaching her eyes, she kept a hoof on the muscular shoulder, “Perhaps one day you can mourn them properly.” Looking out among the silent trees she continued, “I think you have a sadness inside you that needs a place to go.” He nodded in agreement, there were so many things. “I would like to think one day that it will not be there. Sometimes even we are foolish.” Cyan eyes tuned to look at him once more, “You are many things, but that, I believe, is not one of them.” “Of course, Princess.” A reply was halted when she took on a faraway look in her eyes, “My sister is ready.” She stood near the Lamp, “We can remove this at any time in the future, it is not permanent.” “I understand.” Her magical aura coalesced along her horn, feeding the magic into the diamond at the center of the beautiful item, making it glow brightly as if a beacon lit. Letting it fade, she tapped on it once to make sure it was secure. “How long will it take to do its work Your Highness?” “A day or so, until then you will find the dreams slipping away. Fear not, for it is a subtle magic and will sooth.” “Understood.” She settled into the snowy grass, a smile gracing her face still, “One question though.” “Yes?” “Why do you not call me Luna? We have been through much together and your sister does so.” “It would not be appropriate Your Highness. I will have a talk with Athena.” He was eyed with a look of humor, “Please do not, she is happy as she is.” “If that is your wish Princess.” “Luna.” “Yes, Your Highness.” “It’s Luna.” “Of course Princess.” “My name is Luna.” “Yes it is, Princess.” A clad hoof was stamped, “Call me Luna!” “No, Your Highness.” “That is my wish.” “Acknowledged, Your Highness.” “Luna.” “Of course, Your Highness.” A snort of frustration accompanied by a narrowing of her eyes as she looked at the placid pony, “You will call me Luna.” He nodded. “That is settled then.” “Yes, Princess.” Luna smiled broadly, finally winning the argue..wait.. “Crusader!” She turned on him again, seeing no smile but a glint of humor in his eyes. “Now I see why your sister is frustrated with you so often. Hmph! You are stubborn to a fault!” “I can only be myself, Highness.” “You are incorrigible.” “And you are impetuous Princess.” “I am not!” He didn’t reply, only kept looking at her with a growing mien of amusement crossing his face. “Do not call your Princess names.” “I would never.” Another unamused expression, “You just...” She eyed him suspiciously and hmphed, “Let us leave this for another day.” “Yes, Your Highness.” The dark mare sighed, looking back from whence she had come, “You were correct, he will not.” A laugh, then a sable head peeking out of a doorway that shimmered in the air showed itself, “I told you.” She was followed by an orange one that was grinning from ear to ear. Princess Luna nodded as Athena joined them, settling herself beside her brother, “The word stubborn has a picture of him by it.” Applejack nudged the umber stallion with her shoulder, “Never change sugar.” He nodded with a tilting if his head, “I shall endeavor not to.” The four were lit by the soft glow of the Lamp, the aura surrounding them all with a silvery glow that gave an even more ethereal look to the snowy forest. The trees crackled with the falling snow as the ponies looked outward into the starry night. Magic from the lamp suffused everything, a subtle, soothing calm that made everything so different. Nothing was said into the companionable silence until Crusader’s voice broke it. The scene changing to something light as a memory came to the fore. A beautiful place of what appeared to be trees wreathed in light. Glittering motes danced between the leaves as the world became clearer. A breeze swept through the humble plants, letting them hear chimes and bells as the branches moved and swayed. “I remember..” Into the night time, an old soldier shared memories with those he felt closest to. To know and understand that it wasn’t all bad. That somewhere, somewhen in the past, there were things that would still bring gasps of delight as the Singing Trees did now. A strong form leaned against him, ears perked as Applejack listened to his story. A Princess’ eyes widened as the chiming and bell sounds took on a symphonic air, creating and composing a music of the winds that wove through the branches and leaves, Athena’s eyes along with hers taking in the sights as they both pointed and whispered among the song surrounding them. One day I hope to understand what this world is about, until then I shall do my best. Unto this, I give of my memories. For if I am not to dream anymore, at least I can share this. For as Lucius Annaeus Seneca once wrote: One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand, and to be understood.