//------------------------------// // ch. 1 part 2: the invitation/ prepare for dimensional travel/ dead upon arrival // Story: fallout equestria: Paradise // by dquiroga //------------------------------// The invitation (blue Christmas) it’s been two weeks since we’ve been integrated here. it took us three days to get the layout of the place, and, even then, we still haven’t explored the whole base. The lower level was completely restricted to us and almost all the other personnel. The only people I’ve seen go down there are the scientist and a select few engineers. They’ve been very hushed about what goes on down there. I eventually gave up on the idea. ‘don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.’ I decide to focus on the other members of the team. The European division had Barnaby who was the communications expert, butch an expert rifleman, and lieutenant Fergus the leader of our group. The Russian division was Kazimir the heavy weapons expert and mechanic, and the twins Borya and Lyosha. They were both excellent riflemen and quite a dangerous duo. The Asian division had Guo a technician expert, Fan another rifleman, and Hyousuke. I couldn’t find out much about his background but he was good with a sniper rifle and was also an expert on close quarters combat. There was a rumor that he may have been an assassin of sorts. He usually just avoids the subject all together and keeps to himself. Today we were all called in for a briefing. Since we’ve been here, there was no information about our orders or what goes on here. like everyone else, we were told to be ready when the time comes. Honestly, it’s about time they told us something. We didn’t have to wait long, as three people walked in. two of them I recognized as the lieutenant and commander Higgon, but the third was a scientist that I haven’t seen before. We all stood at attention for the higher ranks. After he told us to sit down, he decided to begin the meeting. “gentlemen, you are here today because the nations of the world believe that you are the best they had to offer for this mission. You may be wondering what that may be. I would like you to give professor Hubbard your undivided attention.” He waved his hand for the professor to step forward. The professor looked like your stereotypical scientist. Lab coat, glasses, and a professional demeanor. ‘You’ve seen one; you’ve seen them all.’ “thank you, commander. About eight years ago, a satellite installation encountered an anomaly.” As he speaks the lights begin to dim and a projection displayed an image of the facility he spoke of, “it caused an extreme surge of energy, affecting all the systems within the facility. Luckily this event was recorded via camera.” He stepped aside, as the video he spoke of, began to play. At first, you would think you’re watching a scene from a cheesy sci-fi flick, but this wasn’t a movie. The video ended when the camera man proclaimed seeing something at the center of the room. ‘talk about a cliff hanger.’ “the object in question was a container.” The image of this container was displayed on the projector. It looked like a golden tube with the symbol of the sun and moon mixed together. “after much study and analyzing, the container was deemed safe to open. Within it was a scroll.” The image then changed to one of those rolled up scrolls you’ll find in a Greek museum. However, the shocking part was that the words were written in English and in cursive no less. To make it easier to read, the projector displayed what was written in fine print. “greetings other beings. if you are reading this, then project paradise was a success. I am the overseer, and, behalf of the princesses of our great nation, I humbly offer you our friendship. My dream soon is to be able to meet face to face and to learn from each other. Until then, I look forward to your response. Long live the princesses, Long live Equestria.” I heard a lot of murmuring, as I was sure that everyone read the message. However, my mind was occupied with one word. ‘Equestria, what kind of name is that?’ “I am sure you have many questions, but please save them for the end.” Everyone quieted down as we brought our attention back to the professor, “after analyzing this message, we have come with these facts. We have another civilization attempting to contact us in the form known as project paradise, and lead by someone known as the overseer. The name of the nation is known as Equestria and may be in a form of some sort of diarchy. Their goals are vague, but their motivation is unknown. The chosen nations of the world had been presented with this information, and, after much debate, they agreed to put together a team whose purpose will be to assess the relations of this civilization, and to establish a connection between our worlds. This will be known as project G.A.T.E.” The projection soon changed to images of a machine and the wolf pack logo on the top left corner. The machine was a large ring that is connected to multiple tubes that spread out to other machines, and was held up by large beams, keeping it in place. It was a bit elevated to make room for the tubes, and there was a stair case leading up to it. “for many years, we had no way to connect ourselves with this other world… until now. With the frequencies, we encountered during first contact, we could create a portal to the other world. You have all been selected to make the greatest leap ever forgone by mankind. You will be known as wolf pack, and you will make first contact.” The projector was soon turned off and the room was lit up once more. Now, we could ask our questions. ` “so, when we get to the other side, how do we get back?” Barnaby asked. “leave that to me. I will be assisted with six others to reconnect us to our portal. I am sure the other world had succeeded on the basics. We simply have to finish it.” Kazimir was next to ask. “how much equipment will we be taking?” “you can take with you any gear or weapon you desire, and will also be issued some standard weaponry and ammunition. You are our security force after all. For supplies, we will have three months’ worth of food and water, a purifier, and standard survival gear. If the situation becomes bleak, we could ration our supplies to last longer.” At that point, I decided to ask my question. “what happens if this civilization turns out to be hostile?” “… if the situation calls for it, I am confident that you can handle yourselves, but, if this civilization has any intentions to invade our world, we must place the safety of our world the top priority by severing all connections between us. I truly hope it does not come to that.” Everyone was silent, as all the risks began to pile. At that point, we realized how much we could lose. The commander took the opportunity to step forward. “men, I understand your concerns… but understand that the nations of the world have considered this mission of upmost importance. I have complete confidence that you will accomplish this mission. In my absence, lieutenant Fergus will oversee the operation, but, above all else, I wish you to do what is right.” The commander then waved the lieutenant to take the lead. "Alright men, at 0800 I expect you all to be ready to go. At 0900 we will begin the operation. Get a good night’s rest, it will be a long day tomorrow.” Prepare for dimensional travel (let it snow) I strapped on my leg brace completing my uniform. I looked myself over the mirror. I had a tactical Kevlar vest and gloves, arm and leg braces, Kevlar helmet, elbow guards, a side pack, gasmask, pistol holster, and knee guards. I was practically the definition of a one-man army. Satisfied, a grabbed my backpack, which was filled with all kinds of supplies and headed out. I made my way towards the hanger bay, hearing the familiar Christmas music playing in the background. After entering, I noticed the rest of the group at the center, collecting the requested weaponry we asked for. Going ahead towards my end of the table, I see a case with my name written on top. I opened it revealing the very weapon I requested; the FN Scar. Examining my weapon further, I recognized that it was the MK 16 series. Most of the attachments were standard: medium barrel, 30 round magazines, and polymer stock. However, the special features include, my person favorite, acog scope, and a beautiful grenade launcher. ‘I guess Christmas came early this year.’ Once I was done ogling over my weapon, I looked back into the case to see whatever I was given. There were five maps, five grenade rounds, three of which are standard and the others are heat, a shoulder strap, two hand grenades, and a E-AA corp 10 mm pistol with five mags to spare. Feeling satisfied, I adorned my gear and made my way towards the elevator along with the others. The elevator, that leads to the lower level, wasn’t much to look at other than its size. It wasn’t surprising due to the large crates they seem to send down. There was plenty of room for all of us. After we got inside and began our descent, I decided to look at the others. Nathan and Vincent had G36C, all three members of the European division had a FAMAS, Borya and Lyosha had AK74s, Kazimir had a heavy hitting PKM, Gao and Fan had Howa type 89s, and Hyousuke had a cheytac M200. ‘damn I’ve only seen those on TV. I guess they’re not sparing any expense… wait, is that a sword on his back?’ I squinted my eyes to see further. My efforts were proven successful as I could see a handle of a sword, getting behind his back. ‘talk about clichéd, but I’m not going to say sh#t. I actually like living.’ Overall, I considered ourselves the most equipped group of individuals this world will probably never see. Such is the life of secrecy. After a few minutes, the elevator finally made it to the second level. The elevator doors opened, revealing the very room we were briefed about. Just like in the pictures, a circular machine that was slightly elevated and in the center of the room. There were multiple cables connected to it, leading to other systems around the room. There were many personnel, engineers, and scientists alike, scattered across the room. Upon further inspection, I noticed an observation deck on the top corner of the room. I could see people working on computers, and the commander himself monitoring everything that goes on. “you’ve arrived, and just in time to. We were about to begin.” I looked over to see professor Hubbard. He was wearing a grey jumper with a G.A.T.E. logo patched on the left side of his chest. Looking around I noticed a few others wearing the same thing. ‘they must be the scientists that are coming with us.’ “wouldn’t miss it for the world professor.” The lieutenant said giving him a handshake. “I assume your equipment are in order?” he asked. “armed and ready to go.” The lieutenant replied, tapping his weapon for emphasis. “splendid! We will be opening the portal in a couple of minutes. I suggest you act quickly on final preparations.” With that said, he walked off to another part of the room. The lieutenant didn’t delay as he barked off orders to us. The Russians were to tale the trunk containing the extra armaments and ammunition, Nathan and Vincent will be taking the rations and supplies, and the rest of us will be acting as security. We all then separated to attend to our assigned duties. I decided to take a closer look at the teleporter. Looking over it, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. “pretty neat aint it.” I looked over to see another scientist. He had white tone skin and shaggy hair, and his uniform was like the others except for a patch of a crashed helicopter with text saying “so far so good”. He seemed to perceive a more casual demeanor. He then looked at me and gave me a friendly smile. “I’m Steven, the professor’s assistant and one of the original members of this project.” His behavior was minorly refreshing that I couldn’t help but return the favor. “you know, I never thought in a million years I would find myself here.” he said looking back at the teleporter. “weren’t you working here before all this?” I asked quizzically. “heh yeah… but I was just here for the pay. I didn’t really believe we would actually find anything, yet here we are.” He said chuckling a bit. We continued to stand there while everyone else were making final preparations. “can I ask you something?” I gave him a nod to continue, “if things do go to sh#t, you can protect us, right?” I looked over to him with a skeptical look. “just worry about getting us home.” He simply nodded, thinking that was all he was going to get. It was at this point an intercom message proclaimed that the activation of the teleporter was about to commence. We all went to our respective positions and waited. The scientists were working at many of the terminals in the room. Whoever was on the intercom was going through some sort of systematic check list. I couldn’t understand most of it, but I didn’t have to. “all systems check, prepare for trans dimensional connection.” After that, many of the lights went out, leaving the room in darkness. We were then ordered to put our masks on. “connecting in 10…9…8” the machine whirred to life, giving out a slight rumble. “7…6…5” sparks of electricity began to leak out from the sides while it was building up energy. “4…3” the electricity was soon directed to the center, forming a blue ball of energy that was growing. “2…1” it then exploded into a bright light, blinding everyone in the room. As my eyes adjusted, I didn’t see a room filled with blown up servers or machinery. Instead, I see a blue portal that the transporter opened. I looked at it in awe as I began to realize. ‘my god, they did it.’ “connection complete. Portal stability at 97%.” The portal looked like a blue wall of energy lighting up the room in a blue hue. “the portal is drastically losing power; you must go now!” I heard the commander yell out through the intercom. The lieutenant ordered us all to move forward. The first ones to go was him, Barnaby, and Hyousuke. they only hesitated for a second before they went straight through. Within seconds they were gone. Those who were carrying the ammunitions were next, then the ones with the supplies, and finally it was our turn. As I stepped onto the platform, I could feel my heart racing. I was afraid, but I kept moving forward. I reached out with my shaky hand and time seemed to have slowed. My fingers were the first to go through, feeling nothing from it. my arm was next, still feeling nothing. Soon my whole body went through. I was blinded by white, everything went silent, and I couldn’t even feel myself move. However, the peace didn’t last long. I began to get flashes of images. They were appearing so fast I couldn’t make them out, but most of them had a familiar theme. They were images of war as many were images of explosions, gunfire, burning cities, ruined landscapes, and there was death. I could hear screams of terror and agony, coming from all around me. then my vision was filled with green fire, consuming everything it touches. Then it all went silent as my vision was filled with white once more. “…please…save them.” Dead upon arrival Right at that moment I began to feel my body jerked forward. It took all my concentration not to keel over, and this major headache I was feeling wasn’t helping. I placed my hand over my head, trying to compose myself. just as it came, the pain went away. ‘what the f@ck was that?’ as I looked forward, I froze. This was not the same room we were in before. Instead of being filled with scientists and engineers at work, the room was completely void of life, with us as the only occupants. With the glow of both the portal and the flashlights, I began to examine the room in more detail. The equipment and machinery here were different, and, not to mention, extremely old. The room was filled with cobwebs and rusted metal plating. the floor was littered with decayed debris, and it looked murky under the broken pipes on the ceiling. It’s as if this place had been abandoned for years. The temperature within the room was cold, adding how empty the place felt. As I looked behind me, I came to notice that even the teleporter looked different. The shape was similar, but the design of rusted metal and the lack of wiring tubes and support beams made it look like it could fall apart at any moment. ‘how is it still functional?’ Just as the last of our crew walked through the portal, it suddenly dissipated into nothing, leaving our flashlights to illuminate the room. ‘no turning back now.’ “yo professor, did we transport ourselves into the future?” I heard Steven ask, while looking around the room. “it’s a possibility, but highly unlikely. None of the equipment here resembles anything we used, the room itself is different in structure, even the atmosphere feels wrong.” The professor response only confirms my suspicions. Taking closer inspection of one of the computers, it looks like something you’ll find in the 1900’s. the screen looked like it had a built-in monitor in the back, and the keyboard was oddly larger but still similar. However, I noticed there aren’t any wires for the monitor to connect to an outlet. ‘maybe it has a built-in power source.’ “hey comrades, I believe I found a way out!” I looked over to see Kazimir across the room. As we all gathered around him, I noticed that the door was a sliding door bearing the logo “STABLE 0” on the center. Next to it looked like a terminal of some kind. As I walked up to it, I was surprised to hear the monitor come to life. The screen seemed to be displaying a boot up procedure, and then a keyboard appeared below it. the screen then displayed “enter password” in bold letters. “hey Vincent, come here.” I called over, knowing his knowledge on computer far outweigh my own. “yeah, what is- wow.” He looked at the screen, wondering how something still works. “think you can bypass?” he began to rub his hands at the challenge. “alright, let’s see what we have here.” I watched as he typed away, placing in codes that I have no knowledge of. Suddenly, the screen went blank, showing the words “booting up” on the top left corner. Then row upon row of symbols mixed in with words appeared on the screen. Vincent hummed in thought, as he looked upon the screen with a critical eye. “any luck?” I asked not comprehending what’s on the screen. “just seeing what I’m dealing with here, but if it’s what I think it is…” he began to type a group of symbols onto the screen. Once he pressed enter one of the words disappeared form the screen. He began doing it multiple times, typing different sets of symbols. One by one, the words disappeared from the screen. “just as I thought.” Vincent said, chuckling a bit. “what is it?” I asked, trying to understand what’s going on. “well, the screen is displaying a password recovery hack I learned in my early years. The computer will give you a whole set of words that may have been previous passwords or made up ones. The syllables between them actually serve as codes to remove any duds from the list… like this one.” He pointed at the code on the screen and proceeded to type it. soon enough, another word disappeared. “the computer won’t always give you enough codes to remove all the duds, but it still helps. See, now I only have three words.” I looked at the screen, seeing the words he was talking about. “how many tries do you have?” Vincent gave me a smug look, after I asked that. “don’t worry, the computer will give you four tries to get it right. See these blocks right here.” he pointed it four small squares on the right corner of the screen, “these display the amount of tries you can get, but, if you fail, you’ll be locked out indefinitely.” He began to type one of the words and entered it and then one of the blocks disappeared. On the bottom, right corner the screen, the terminal displayed it as wrong and gave a likeness number. “this obviously tells me that it was wrong but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is the likeness number.” He said, matter of fact, “it tells you how many letters from the dud are like the real password. Then I play the game of observation. This word had no similarities to the dud; so, it is also a dud. That leaves us with this one.” He typed in the other word, careful that he didn’t misspelled it. soon enough, the screen displayed “correct password” and continued to start rebooting. It then displayed an open-door menu. “and we’re in.” he said happily. “wow, that was… easy?” I almost asked, seeing how simplistic it was. “you know for being the only security for this room, I find it too easy to break in.” Vincent said, shocked by the little to no difficulty he had. “let’s not waist a grit horse in the mouth. Open the door.” The lieutenant said. We all placed ourselves in a defensive formation, while the scientists hid behind us. Once everyone was ready, Vincent entered the command. He backed away immediately as the door slid open. Not knowing what’s on the other side, we all pointed our weapons. However, what greeted us was a dark hallway that seemed to be in a similar condition as the room, and some skeletal remains of a small horse… “well that’s depressing.” Barnaby said, pointing out the skeleton in front of us. We all slowly moved forward, making sure it was safe. Once we were in front of it, we began to examine it further. The skeleton was covered in a tattered lab coat that decomposed due to old age. However, that wasn’t the strangest thing about it. although the body structure was like a horse only smaller, the head was completely out of proportion. It was larger than it should be, the snout was small, and the eye sockets were as big as my hand. “what a strange specimen.” Said one of the scientists as he crouched down to get a better look. “hey, how much you want to bet these were the chaps that sent us the letter.” Barnaby said, jokingly. “that is complete preposterous. Such beings could not possibly build this place, or even come close to dimensional travel.” Professor Hubbard argued. “then how do you explain this?” Barnaby said pointing at the corpse. “it may have gotten lost in here and died of starvation.” The professor countered. “and the coat?” Kazimir asked. “someone may have dressed it up before it got here, maybe. I can’t determine its past by looking at its corpse.” The professor bellowed, as he started to get aggravated. “alright, that’s enough!” the lieutenant shouted, silencing everyone, “we’ll figure this out later. Right now, we must focus on finding a bloody way out of here.” he continued saying that he, Barnaby, Butch, and the other scientists will hold up in the teleporter room, while the rest of us continue to scout ahead. We were to maintain radio contact and report all our findings. The professor also asked us to find out what happened to the place. With our flashlights on and guns at the ready, we walked past the corpse and traveled deeper into the dark.