Fallout: Equestria - A Robot’s Lament
Chapter 5: Challenges
“It’s just blood….nothing more nothing less”.
I could tell Cyborg was having a tough time.
After grabbing the supplies he’d hidden away, we walked through the hallway and out the entrance door. But as we reached the stairs, Cyborg paused before turning back towards his former residence.
“....It’s almost sad really,” he said after a moment. “You live someplace for a few years, and it really starts to feel like home”.
I knew that feeling well; I’d had similar ‘feelings’ when I lived with my masters. You get used to living someplace, and it seems strange when you have to leave it. It’s almost like losing a little part of yourself.
“Well, think of it like this,” I replied. “Now, you can find someplace that’s even better than this one”.
Cyborg sighed, then turned around and headed for the stairs. “I fail to see how that’s possible,” he said with a frown. “Not many places have a history of science, or come with a well-paying job and protection”.
I thought about mentioning the synths that had gotten through his security, but figured it’d be best not to. Instead I followed Cyborg down the stairs and onto the road that lead back to Trotsville.
We walked in silence for a while, leaving the sounds of the wasteland to fill our ears. Every gust of wind or crunch of dirt sounded strange in the still silence between the two of us.
Taking that into account, I scrolled through my programs and brought up the radio. Instantly, the gusts and crunch were replaced by the sweet toons of Pony Marcus’ Back to Equestria and a Home.
I know my heart is waiting for me by the river shore,
I know that all the ones I love will welcome me once more,
In dreams I see them now though it seems I’m bound to roam,
It calls me back to Equestria and a home….
“Hm….I always found this song to be somewhat soothing,” said Cyborg. “It reminds me of the times of my youth”.
I raised an eyebrow questionably. “Uh, were you able to hear that?”
“Of course,” he replied.
That was strange; I thought the signal went straight to my head. It hadn’t occurred to me that I was a walking speaker system. That Pip-Buck chip was really starting to change how much I knew about my systems.
“WHOA, welcome back fillies and gentlecolts to Ponytunes Radio. This is your host, The Whisperer, and we’ve got some new stories for your hungry minds!”
“First off, we have a word from our sponsor: Pony Jack’s All Purpose Food Shop. Whatever you want, when you want it. And all at an affordable price!”
Wow, they still had advertisements in the wasteland? I mean, how many ponies would actually travel across this land just for some food?
“Now for some actual news. We once again have word of possible TSIM activity along the coast of Baltimare. Though what they’d find out there besides old boats is beyond me”.
“There’s something valuable out there,” said Cyborg. “TSIM never sends synths anywhere unless they want something. If they’re rooting around some old boats, then there’s something valuable in one of them”.
“....And, how do you know this?”
Cyborg didn’t look at me; he just kept his stern face forward. “When you constantly have those electric bastards after you, you pick up a few things”.
“And we can assure ponies that the explosion was in fact intentional. Whatever you hear, no matter what anypony says, that explosion was intentional”.
I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I was glad that Cyborg had pulled my thoughts away from the radio.
“Finally, we have word coming in about some….well….some interesting news. Ponies up in Manehattan have reported that a strange looking ship has been sailing down the coast. And just a few days ago, it was spotted near the shores of Baltimare. Now I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure this is all true. It could be just another stray boat floating with the current”.
“Plus, there have been no reports of ponies on the decks. So I ask you; do you really think a ship with ponies on it is just floating down the Equestrian coast; without interacting with any settlement. Hm, I thought not”.
“Well fillies and gentlecolts, it appears my time is over. But fear not, I’ll be back soon to give you more updates and the sweet sound of my voice. Until next time, this is The Whisperer, and you’re listening to Ponytunes Radio. Stay safe fillies, and I hope you enjoy the music”.
Cyborg rolled his eyes. “That mare is a nightmare to listen to. She blasts news over the radio like it’s some kind of silly game”.
“Isn’t it good that she’s alerting ponies to what’s going on?”
“You’d think so,” replied Cyborg. “But she doesn’t show any emotion to the really heart-wrenching stories. She just blows it off as another problem and usually ends the stories with a joke”.
He narrowed his eyes and frowned even more. “I have no respect for ponies like that”.
Well it a good to know that ponies still had some old-world traits to them. And personally, I kind of agreed with him. Ponies that made tragic events look like nothing major wasn’t a pony who should be on the radio. They should show respect for what others might be feeling, and not what they want to feel.
The two of us remained silent for a while after that; the sounds of the radio were the only thing to pierce our ears. I almost felt like talking more to Cyborg; maybe talking would do some good, especially if he’s been by himself for a while.
However, the looming sight of Trotsville’s walls met my cameras. I sighed in relief; soon, I could get whatever supplies I needed before heading towards bucks crossing. I could leave all this synth business behind, and get back to what I came out here to do.
But as we got closer….I knew something was wrong.
What became apparent first were the three plumes of smoke that were rising from behind the walls. They seemed to originate near the city gates, though one was at the opposite side of the town.
“What’s going on,” I said quietly.
Cyborg looked up at the plumes of smoke, and I once again heard that strange whirring noise. “From what I guess, I’d say something’s going on at the main gate”.
He paused shortly. “But the other plume seems to be near the residential area….and the mayor’s office!”
Apparently, that was bad enough to get him running. He took off towards the gates with the speed of Rainbow Dash! I sighed quietly before taking off after him. But being a highly advanced robot is nothing to a pony with determination; I still wasn’t able to catch up with him.
He rounded the corner of the wall, disappearing from my sight. I pressed my circuits harder and soon turned the corner as well. But when I did, I saw something that I was not prepared to see.
Blood.
There was blood everywhere!
Ponies dressed in armor were sprawled out in front of the gates. Some still had their guns clutched in their hooves, while others looked like torn apart pieces of meat! Disembodied parts such as eyeballs, tails, hooves, and ears were scattered around the area.
I guess it was a good thing robots don’t eat; because I would have probably threw the contents of my stomach all over the area. Instead, I was left with a feeling of utmost shock and fear.
This wasn’t like the monstrous ghouls, or the robotic synths. These were ponies! Ponies that had lives; friends, family, love partners….and now it was gone. They were gone, and all because they were trying to protect others.
My harddrive was so focused on the bodies that I failed to notice that Cyborg was nowhere in sight. I’d have thought he would have stopped at the sight of the bodies as well. Instead, I noticed what looked like hoofprints in the blood, leading towards the gates.
Not only that, but soon the sound of gunfire reached my ears. It sounded like a mix of pistol, shotgun, and magic beam pistol firing off. Plus, there was the distinct sound of screaming and running hooves.
“What the fuck is going on?”
I knew I had to go inside to see what was happening….so I slowly made my way through the bloody minefield. I did my best not to step on an eyeball or section of intestines. But what I couldn’t avoid was the blood; it was everywhere. There were even pools of it forming in the spaces between bodies.
Finally I reached the gates. They appeared to have been blown open by an explosion; they were bent in the middle and barely attached to the hinges. Fire was consuming all the wooden pieces, causing the plumes of smoke we’d seen before.
I stuck to the wall and looked around the corner into town.
It was just as bad as the outside.
Bodies of both ponies and synths filled the streets. Some looked completely intact, while others were reduced to piles of ash or guts. The synths had sparks shooting out of their “wounds”, but some looked like they’d been hit with a giant rock.
There weren’t as many bodies as I’d expected, but still enough to know they had little warning. Most of the ponies had shopping bags, others looked like guards.
It wasn’t something I’d wanted to see….but I kind of expected it. If things had been bad on the outside, then the softer ponies inside didn’t have a chance.
I looked farther down the street, and saw where the gun sounds were coming from. A line of synths were formed near the T intersection at the end of town. They were concentrating their fire towards the Dead Shot Saloon, but a few were just standing there doing nothing.
I quickly moved away from the larger cluster of bodies. The synths seemed more interested in what was in front of them, not behind. That made it a lot simpler to move down the street without getting shot at.
Eventually I reached the alley way I’d stopped in a few hours earlier. I was about to move on when I heard somepony whisper “pst”.
I looked over at the alley way, and to my surprise saw Cyborg standing in the shadows. He had his beam pistol floating beside him, and looked ready to use it at a moment’s notice.
“There you are,” I said as I ran over to him. “What did you go running off for? You could have been running into a death trap!”
Cyborg snorted. “I needed to see if these ponies were okay. It was my job to watch over them, and as I see it it’s still my job”.
“Then we need to think this out,” I explained. “Like we did back with those other synths”.
“I can tell you it won’t be as easy,” he replied. He looked around the corner towards the line of synths. “These aren’t like the synths you and me fought”.
“What’s different about them,” I asked. From where I had been standing, they hadn’t looked any different.
“The ones we faced had exposed machinery; meaning they had no outer casing. But these do; and it has better resistance than flesh”.
I looked at the synths carefully, and did notice they had what looked like skin. But it was in pieces; like a large puzzle. That and the blue eyes easily made them distinguishable from real ponies.
“So, it’s going to take a lot more to take them out,” explained Cyborg. “If you can, aim for the cracks between the sections. It’s the best way to bypass the armor”.
That was easier said than done. My aim wasn’t the best, and my S.A.T.S. was only good for hitting body parts, not specific locations. Coupled with the fact that I was running low on ammo for my beam pistol; I was in some deep shit.
I thought back to the times me and Master Smithson would talk about his job. He’d tell me about the different kinds of weapons that went through the factory, and how each one could be used to it’s full advantage.
That’s when I thought of an idea.
“Think there’s any grenades around here?”
Cyborg looked at me like I’d spoken gibberish. “Just what are you planning on doing?”
I rolled my eyes. “Blowing them up. Why else would I ask for explosives?”
“It’s not going to work,” said Cyborg, shaking his head. “These synths are smarter than the ones we fought. Simply throwing a grenade at them won’t be enough”.
“Well, do you have any better ideas?”
This wasn’t really the time for arguing, but it looked like we were going in that direction. And hey, sometimes arguing brought out some of the best ideas in ponies.
For example.
“Well, they may be more resistant to gunfire and smarter than the brainless bots we fought”. He paused for a second. “But, they might still be stupid enough to trick”.
“What exactly do you have in mind,” I asked.
Cyborg thought for a moment. “Usually, synths share what they learn about certain ponies’ moves with each other. It’s how they are easily able to subdue almost anypony they come across”.
I grinned. “I’m guessing there’s a but coming up, right?”
“But,” he said with a smile, “the ones we fought couldn’t do that. So, it’s highly likely that they don’t know about the ‘pretend giving up approach’ either”.
Now things were starting to fall back into place. “So you think they’ll try and capture you, like the ones back at your home?”
“I thinks that’s why they’re here,” he said with a frown. “Why else would they attack Trotsville except if they were looking for me. There’s nothing of value here”.
Right then, it hit me as to why Cyborg was so tense right now. He must have thought this was his fault; the synths attacking the town because they were looking for him. In a sense, that meant that the blood would be on his hooves….no matter what anypony said.
Cyborg sighed before turning to me. “So, how exactly are we going to trick them?”
That was a good question, but one that I already had the answer to. “First I have to know; do we have any grenades?”
“Onto that again,” asked Cyborg, looking very confused. When I replied with a frown, he rolled his eyes. “Okay, yes. I have six. But like I said, I don’t think throwing a grenade at them will work”.
“I don’t plan on throwing the grenades,” I said. “I plan on using them in a different way”.
“How?”
I smiled. “You’ll see. Just give me the grenades and I’ll come back when my plan’s ready”.
Cyborg was silent for a moment, but eventually he levitated the grenades out of his bag. “Garcon, I just want to point out that you’re an asshole”.
“Noted,” I said as I placed the grenades in my own bags. “Now wait here”.
Quickly, I ran out of the alley way and towards the front door of Wholesale’s Allshop Shack. The front was covered with a few burn marks, but overall it looked relatively intact.
I used my magic to swing the door open, and quickly ran into the shop. Unfortunately, the second I ran through the door, I heard a bang and watched as a single bullet flew into the floor in front of me.
“GET READY FOR MORE YOU SONS OF….what the fuck are you doing here?”
I looked over to where the voice was coming from. The counter, which had actually been in good condition last time, was now splintered. The glass displays had been smashed, and the items inside were either destroyed or lying on the floor.
However, I was more focused on who was behind the counter. Wholesale stood near a small doorway at the end of the counter. She had a gun in her mouth, and looked ready to use it again. Her mane was everywhere, and the apron she was wearing was gone.
“Nice to see you too,” I said with a frown. Slowly, I made my way to the counter as she put the gun down.
“This ain’t the time for jokes,” she spat. “Or did you not see the bodies of innocent ponies lining the street, or the synths that were firing on the salon right now?”
“No I saw,” I said sadly. “But that’s why I’m here”.
Wholesale snorted. “You planning on hiding out here like me?”
I cringed. “No….and neither should you”.
“Say what now?”
I levitated my bag onto the counter and rolled the grenades out. Instantly, Wholesale’s eyes widened. “You want to take them out with grenades?”
“Not exactly,” I replied. “I actually think that we could….how did ponies say it….‘bring the house down’”.
Unfortunately, all I got from Wholesale was look of confusion. Sighing, I tried to explain in more detail. “If I can place these grenades in just the right spots, I can cause the whole building to come down right on the synths”.
Wholesale scrunched her face in anger, which was something that I expected to happen. I had a feeling she wouldn’t like my plan very much.
“You want to destroy my shop to get rid of those synths!?”
I rubbed my leg, “uh….yes”.
“You must be the biggest dumbass in history if you think I’m going to let you destroy my shop!” She walked around the counter and over to the open door, then pointed across the street at another building. “However, that one isn’t used by anypony in town”.
Well, that caused a wrinkle in my plan. I wanted to use Wholesale’s shop because it was smaller; meaning less explosives would be needed to bring it down. But the one she was pointing at was much bigger, and made of concrete.
“I’m not sure my grenades will be enough to take that building down,” I said with uncertainty.
Wholesale smiled. “You just leave that to me. I’ve thought about bombing the others stores around here for years; so I’ve formed plans on how to do it”.
I didn’t know whether to be happy or concerned by that statement. But what mattered was that now I had a pony to help me; I just hoped it would be enough.
“Fine; take the grenades and head over to the building. When you’re done, come back here and meet with me and Cyborg”.
“Roger that honey,” she said before she ran back to the counter, grabbed the grenades, and ran out the door. I followed behind her, then headed for the alley way.
I found Cyborg right where I’d left him; staring at the line of synths with a look of resentment. When I approached, he looked back and frowned.
“So, are the explosives set?”
“Slight change in plan,” I said. “Wholesale is setting them up in the building across the street. She didn’t want her shop to be destroyed”.
Cyborg rolled his eyes again. “I fail to see how any shop owner would be okay with that”.
“I’ll make a note of that for the next time I want to blow up a shop,” I said sarcastically. “Now, run the plan by me so I know we’re on the same page”.
Cyborg nodded. “Once the explosives are set, I run into the street and get the synth’s attention. When they focus on me, I run towards the designated building. The synths should follow me inside, where they’ll find me pressed against the farthest wall”.
“And what happens after that?”
“I use my magic to pull all the pins of the grenades before teleporting out. The explosives go off, and the synths get buried under a pile of rubble”.
Alright, everything was almost ready. Once Wholesale finished with the grenades, they could take out those synths. I just hoped that those inside the saloon could hold out long enough.
Soon, I heard the sound of approaching hooves. I turned and saw Wholesale running up to us, with a large grin on her face. She slid to a stop in front of me, covering Cyborg and I in dust.
“Grenades are all set; let’s blow this fruit stand,” she said enthusiastically.
“But it isn’t a fruit stand, it’s a building,” said Cyborg.
Wholesale facepalmed and sighed. “It’s just an expression”.
“Right,” said Cyborg. “Well, let’s go ahead and start. I want to end this a soon as possible”.
Cyborg holstered his gun and walked out of the alley. When he reached the center of the road, he stopped and turned towards the line of synths. Taking a deep breath, he summoned his strength and yelled.
“Excuse me, I do believe you are looking for me!?”
Two of the synths who weren’t shooting at the saloon looked back. They didn’t say anything; they just looked at Cyborg for a few seconds. Then, they turned their heads towards the others in line.
A second later, three of the synths stopped firing and turned around to face Cyborg. The five synths marched forward until they stood in a straight line; all eyes locked on Cyborg.
“They aren’t going to start firing are they,” asked Wholesale.
I was worried that they might; synths were still a new entity for me. I didn’t know if they’d fire or ask him to surrender. But either way, I just hoped they would be predictable at least here and now.
Cyborg looked over at us, then back at the line of synths. He frowned and said “if you want me, you’ll have to catch me!”
Cyborg turned on his hooves and made a beeline for the building. At the same time, I looked back at the line of synths; expecting them to start running after him.
Instead, there was a flash of light and all the synths not firing disappeared. And when that occurred, I knew what they were planning.
I turned toward Cyborg, who was still running towards the building. But before he could make it to the door, a series of flashes occurred around him, and the next thing we knew he was surrounded by synths.
“Shit,” said Wholesale.
Cyborg came to a quick stop, and looked around at the synths that surrounded him. The panels on their sides opened, and small beam pistols popped out. One of the synths quickly stepped forward.
“Target 12493: CYBORG. You are wanted by TSIM for the theft of TSIM technology, and multiple accounts of the destruction of TSIM property”.
Cyborg scrunched his face in anger. “I didn’t steal anything from you eggheads. And if you don’t want your fancy toys to be destroyed, don’t send them after me!”
“Negative; you are currently in possession of TSIM property. You will now return to TSIM for retrieval of stolen technology”.
“LIKE TARTARUS I WILL!”
Cyborg ignited his horn and whipped his beam pistol from its holster. But before he could even take aim, the synths were on the move. One dashed forward and tackled Cyborg to the ground. He quickly pinned down his hooves; leaving him unable to move.
As Cyborg struggled, another synth walked forward; holding what looked to be a golden ring with symbols on it. The synth took the ring and slid it onto Cyborg’s horn. Almost instantly, the magic around his horn faded and his gun fell to the ground.
“Hey,” he screamed. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”
“Subject is not cooperating with instructions. We have therefore taken the measures need to restrain your magic until dealings with TSIM have been completed”.
The synth looked over at the one that was holding Cyborg down. “Prepare subject for transfer to TSIM”.
While this was going on, me and Wholesale were left in the alley with our mouths open. Our plan had gone backwards in under two seconds, and now Cyborg was being taken to TSIM.
I’d lead him into a trap….unintentionally, but it was still a trap!
“We have to do something,” I said, pulling my gun from my bags. I wasn’t about to let them take Cyborg away; not after all he’s done for me.
“And what exactly are we going to do,” asked Wholesale. “There’s five of them and two of us. Not the best odds for a fight”.
I should probably have listened to Wholesale; her logic was spot on. But there must have been something wrong with my hard drive that day; because I didn’t listen. All I could think about was helping Cyborg, and not about the consequences of my actions.
So, like the idiot I was, I ran out of the alley and towards the synths. I slipped into S.A.T.S. and aimed for the head of the synth that was holding Cyborg. When I shut the program off, I let loose three continuous shots at the mechanical menace.
But once again, I wasn’t thinking. Otherwise, I would have remembered what Cyborg said about these synths.
Instead of ripping into the workings, the synth’s head was only pushed to the side. A small burn mark was left behind, but no actual penetration.
The synths all looked over at me; their mechanical eyes adjusting as they did. I stopped running towards them, but didn’t run back to the alley. At that point, I didn’t care that the shot didn’t make a dent. All I cared about was making them focus on me.
“Let him go,” I screamed! “Or else….or else I’ll….I’ll….”
I racked my hard drive for a response, but nothing came up. It was just what I needed at a time like this!
However, my thoughts were soon pulled to another one.
I’d been standing in front of these synths for a few seconds, and they hadn’t shot at me. I looked at them again, and they were still just looking at me. For a second, I thought they might be broken.
But then, one of the synths turned and walked towards me.
I thought about running, or maybe shooting at them again. But instead, I just stood there. Doing absolutely nothing as it walked up to me, before stopping just a few inches from my face.
“STATE YOUR IDENTIFICATION NUMBER”.
“Uh...what?”
The synth spoke again. “STATE YOUR IDENTIFICATION NUMBER”.
I had no idea what this synth was talking about. I knew I had a serial number….could that be what he was talking about.
“Uh, my ‘identification’ number is 620295”.
The synth’s eyes shut for a moment, then reopened a second later. “THAT NUMBER HAS NOT BEEN ASSIGNED TO ANY TSIM SYNTHS”.
What?! “Uh, that’s because I’m not a synth,” I replied, feeling a little confused.
“NEGATIVE,” said the synth. “OUR THERMAL CAMERAS SHOW THAT YOU’RE INSIDES ARE COMPOSED OF TECHNOLOGY SIMILAR TO TSIM SYNTH TECHNOLOGY. THEREFORE, YOU MUST BE A SYNTH”.
Oh sweet Celestia; they knew I was a robot. But instead of thinking just that, they thought I was a synth too! That must have been why they didn’t shoot at me when I shot at them!
“Garcon….what is it talking about?”
I looked over at Cyborg, who was still pinned by one of the synths. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was formed in a slight frown. I knew this face well; it was of shock and confusion.
“Are you a synth?”
“No,” I replied firmly. “I’m not one of them”.
Cyborg’s face began to form into one of anger. “But are you a pony….or a robot”.
At this point, I actually would have prefered it if the synths had shot me. Then I wouldn’t have to explain myself to Cyborg, or anypony else. I could just deactivate and enjoy the nothingness that came with it.
I sighed sadly. “I’m….I’m not a pony. I’m a robot”.
Instantly, I could see the gears working in Cyborg’s head. The anger in his face went back to shock/confusion, and his mouth dropped open slightly. And even though I didn’t turn around, I knew Wholesale had seen everything and was probably just as shocked.
“I should have told you earlier,” I said. “But I knew what ponies around here thought about robots that look like ponies. And after fighting those synths earlier, I thought it would have been best not to say anything”.
The synth in front of me looked back at the other synths, to which they all nodded. He then turned and looked back at me. “YOU WILL COME WITH US TO TSIM FOR TREATMENT”.
“What do you mean,” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“ALL SYNTHS THAT HAVE CORRUPT PROGRAMING NEED TO BE….”
His speech was interrupted by the sound of something hitting the ground. I looked down, and saw what looked like a grenade land near Cyborg. But this one looked different from a normal grenade.
It was colored black, and had a lightning bolt painted on the side of it. The top was also covered in strange looking electronic parts.
I was about to ask about it, when an explosion ripped through the area. But instead of fire, I saw what looked like a wall of electricity push out from the where the “grenade” had fallen.
It moved so fast I didn’t have time to see what happened to Cyborg or the synths. But when it passed through me, I felt myself being to go stiff.
“Oh Celestia; it’s just like when the Megaspell went off,” I thought.
And I continued to think that while I fell to the ground as my systems began to shut down. Soon I was once again pulled into the endless dark void for nearly the past 200 years.
***
I wasn’t sure how long I was offline.
All I could remember was seeing the endless darkness I’d seen for the past one hundred and ninety years.
But soon, just like before, I soon heard the sounds of my systems coming back online.
“SYSTEM RESPONSIVE: RESTART IN PROGRESS.”
I felt my eyes start up before my eyelids slowly opened. It was soon followed by my gears and other electronics springing to life. After a few seconds, my entire operating system was working again.
And during that time, I got a look as to where I was.
I was no longer in the street; instead I found myself lying on the floor next to a wall. The floor was made from rotten wood, and the walls were all bare concrete. Slowly, I raised myself up and looked around the small space.
But when I did, I saw that there was no wall behind me. Instead, my eyes saw jail bars making up the fourth side of the room. On the other side was another jail cell, and I figured there were more on either side of the two.
“Huh, how did I get here,” I asked.
It was possible that somepony had carried me here after I shut down. But why would they place me in a jail cell? I hadn’t done any crimes.
I walked over to the bars and tried to look along the hallway. All the other cells seemed to be empty; because I didn’t hear anything else moving around. I could also just make out a room down the left side of the cell block, and there seemed to be a light on.
“Uh, Hello!” I called. “Is anypony here?”
I heard rustling coming from the room. A few seconds later, a pony dressed in guard armor walked down the cell block. She stopped in front of my cell and gave me a death glare.
“So, you’re awake hu?”
“Uh….yes,” I replied. “But why am I in this cell?”
The mare snarled. “Why should I tell you anything….synth!”
WHAT! “I’m not a synth,” I said quickly.
The mare huffed, then reached into her armor and pulled something out. It looked like a small metal disk, which she promptly threw though the cell bars, right at me. As soon as it made contact, there was a CLINK noise and it stuck onto my leg.
“Yeah, and magnets just attach themselves to regular ponies’ legs,” she snarled. “I know what you are, and so does the rest of the town. That’s why you’re here, and here is where you will stay!”
She turned on her hooves and headed back down the cell block. I ran to the bars and called back as loud as I could.
“I’m not a synth, I swear. You’ve got it all wrong!”
But the mare didn’t turn back or even reply. She continued walking down the cellblock until she was out of sight.
I stood at the cell door of a few minutes, not knowing what I could do. She said the whole town knew what I was, but they more than likely thought I was a synth. And that meant they’d only hate me; especially after what those synths did to the town!
With a sigh, I moved away from the cell door and over to a small corner of the room. I laided down and closed my eyes; ready to go into low power mode. I didn’t know how long I was going to be here, but I figured it would be a long time.
My systems slowed down slightly, and I moved into the closest thing I could call ‘sleeping’.
***
“....YOU SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ME OF THIS EARLIER….”
“.....I’m sorry Mr. Horse, but Dr. Atom thought it would be best to wait and see what came from this….”
“.....Keeping secrets from your boss isn’t a good way to keep your job Oscillo. You’re lucky I haven’t thrown you out on the street by now….”
“....I do apologize Mr. Horse; I assure you it won’t happen again….”
“....Good, now onto this incredible experiment you and Atom have been working on….”
“....Well sir, after some work we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s….”
“....I know what it is Oscillo: intelligence. Artificial Intelligence!....”
“....Yes sir, and we think it can hear and understand everything we say and do….”
“.....Marvelous, truly marvelous! This could change the game for everything! Not just Robronco, but the entire scientific community….”
“.....So, how exactly would you like us to proceed Mr. Horse?....”
“....I’ll be taking the experiment; I want to work on this one personally….”
“.....Oh, um, yes….of course sir. Will you be conducting the research here then?....”
“....No, this lab will no longer house this experiment. Prepare it for transfer to my personal laboratory in Las Pegasus….”
“....oh….yes, as you wish sir….”
“.....Good….very good indeed….”
***
“BOLTS FOR BRAINS, WAKE UP!”
My systems started to speed up again, and my eyes shot open in response. I raised my head and looked over at the cell door. The mare from before was back, and looking as angry as ever.
“You’ve got company; but don’t try anything or you’ll be scrap metal”.
She turned and walked away, and was soon replaced by three other ponies. And not just any ponies; ones that I knew rather well.
“Cyborg, Wholesale, Fireball?” I said as I walked to the cell door. “What are you three doing here”.
The three ponies all looked a little different from the last time I’d seen them. Cyborg’s left eye was completely black; which I guessed meant that it was offline. Also, his back mechanical leg was sparking slightly, and even I knew that wasn’t good.
Wholesale looked slightly worn, thought I couldn’t tell why. Last time I’d seen her, she looked ready to take on every synth in town. But now, she looked like she should be resting in bed with a glass of water and some medicine.
Finally there was Fireball, who looked the most beaten out of the three. A large eyepatch sat over her right eye, and her right hoof was covered in bandages. A few scratches and scars covered her body, and her mane was no longer in a ponytail.
“To see you,” said Cyborg. His voice seemed a little more gruff than before.
“Didn’t know what happened to you after the first grenade went off,” said Wholesale. “I kinda figured they’d have torn you apart”.
Well it was good to know they had high hopes for my survival. But still, what they were saying did make me realize I had some questions.
“Hey, what exactly happened to me. The last thing I remember was a grenade being thrown and then my systems shut off”.
Cyborg sighed. “Somepony threw an EMP Grenade at us. It shut down the synths, you, and my legs/eye”.
“After that, they did the same with the synths firing at the salon,” said Fireball. “As soon as those bolt heads hit the ground, we went out and smashed them to bits”.
I frowned slightly. “But what happened to you three. No offense, but you look terrible”.
Cyborg sighed. “The EMP Grenade shut down my legs and eye; and I’ve only managed to get my legs back in working order. It’ll take a few more tries to get my eye working again”.
“As for me,” said Wholesale, “I just haven’t gotten much sleep recently. These past few days have been a real strain on my body”.
A few days! How long had I exactly been offline?
“My stories’ pretty self explanatory,” said Fireball. “I got shot in the eye when those synths started bombarding my salon. The busted hoof was from punching a synth in the face, and the scars are simple battle marks”.
“Oh….I’m so sorry this happened to you”. I could only imagine what it had been like for these three to go through all of this.
“Are you?”
I looked back at Wholesale, who was now staring at me with a face of anger. “What do you mean?” I asked.
“Garcon, the whole town knows that you’re a robot. Not only that, but they think you’re actually a synth; one sent by TSIM to take out Cyborg so they could invade the town”.
“WHAT! I would never do that; I’m not a synth!”
“But you failed to mention that you were a robot when we met,” said Cyborg. His tone and face didn’t say he was angry, but I had a feeling he was good at hiding his emotions.
I sighed. “That’s because I knew what ponies nowadays thought about synths. So, I thought saying nothing would be my best option”.
I paused for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts. “Look, I know it looks like I’m a synth. But I can assure you, I am not one of them. I was built before the war as a P.A.B. by the Robronco Robot Company, I can swear on that!”
The three ponies looked at each other, seeming to be thinking about what the others were thinking. I knew it was a difficult thing to accept, but it was true. And if they did believe me, then maybe others could too.
“Alright, you three need to move out!”
I looked down the cellblock and found the security mare heading towards us. She gave me another snort, then turned to the three ponies. “You heard me, beat it! The mayor wants to speak with this….thing!”
Cyborg’s eyes….or eye….opened wide. “What’s he doing here? He said he was too busy to talk with me!”
“His business is none of yours,” the mare shot back. “Now get out or I have the right to use force”.
I didn’t want that coming to them, and I had a feeling they didn’t either. “Just go,” I said quietly. “I’ll be fine”.
Cyborg looked at the mare, then back at me. Eventually, he nodded and turned to the others. “Let’s go,” he said, and began walking towards the exit. Wholesale and Fireball gave me one last look before following him.
The security mare watched them leave, then looked back at me. Her horn ignited, and a small pistol levitated out of its holster. She aimed it at me, and pulled the pin back.
“Remember; you try anything and I blow your head off.”
She put the gun away and walked back to the room at the end of the cellblock. I moved to the cell door and tried to see if I could see anything. Unfortunately, the angle was horrible and I couldn’t catch a glimpse of anything.
However, I soon heard the sound of approaching hooves. And soon after, a pony and two guards stepped in front of my cell.
The pony in between the two guards was a light blue unicorn stallion with a orange mane. He wore a faded dark-blue suit, and had a podium as his cutie-mark.
“So,” he said with a face twisted in anger. “You’re the one who’s responsible for my town being nearly wiped off the map”.
Clearly this stallion was made; but I had expected that. After all, he blamed me for everything that happened. But given a little time to talk, I was sure I could change his mind.
“I am very sorry that….”
Before I could finish my sentence, I felt something wrap around my neck. Soon, I heard the sound of bending metal and sparks flying. Not only that, but I suddenly couldn’t access my voice chip.
“You will talk when I say you can talk!”
It was then that I noticed that the mayor’s horn was ignited, and was likely what was distorting my voice. He gave me another snarl look before stopping his magical grip. Soon, I could feel the connection to my voice chip restore, but I didn’t dare try and test it.
“We lost a lot of ponies today,” he continued. “So many innocent lives destroyed by abominations like you!”
He walked closer to my cell and put his face right in front of the bars. “You’re lucky to even be active; Cyborg somehow convinced everypony to lock you up instead of destroying you like the others”.
What? Cyborg did that? But why would he after he learned who I was….or, at least who he thought I was.
“And here is where you will stay,” said the mayor. He stepped back from my cell and gave an evil grin. “That is, until I convince the town to have you destroyed. I’m sure they will eventually see the error of their thinking”.
He nodded to the guards before turning on his hooves and heading towards the room down the cell block. “And when they do, the ones lost will finally have justice”.
The guards followed him, leaving me alone in my cell. I thought about yelling; maybe saying once again that I wasn’t a synth. But I couldn’t; I didn’t have the urge to yell or scream.
Now, all I wanted to do was go into the corner and lie down.
I moved into the corner, laid down on the floor, and closed my eyes.
“This isn’t good,” I thought. “I can’t find my family if I’m stuck in here”.
Hell, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere if I the mayor had his way! I’d be nothing but a pile of parts, probably being used to fix appliances around town!
“I just don’t know what to do now,” I said to myself. “Maybe some time offline will help me think”.
So, with a quick selection of my “low power mode” setting, I once again drifted off into a deep “sleep”.
***
I didn’t know how long I was out….but that part really didn’t matter. What did was who woke me up.
My system came back online after hearing someone scream: “Garcon, wake up!”
When my eyes finally opened, I found Cyborg standing in front of me. His face was a few inches from mine, and it was formed in hard seriousness. Not only that, but his left eye was now glowing; which I guessed meant it was up and running again.
“Cyborg,” I said as I got up from my corner. “What are you doing here….and how did you get in my cell?”
But once I was back on my hooves, I noticed that Cyborg wasn’t the only pony at this party.
Fireball and Wholesale were standing by the open cell door, both looking at me with wide grins. Fireball still had her eyepatch on, though the rest of her injuries seemed better than before. Wholesale was also looking better; her mane was straight and there weren’t any bags under her eyes.
“How long have I been offline?”
“No time to talk about it,” said Cyborg. He turned around and headed for the cell door. “We’ve only got a short amount of time before they realize what’s going on”.
“What do you mean,” I asked as I followed behind him. “What is going on?”
“I’ll explain,” said Fireball as Cyborg and me passed her, “and I’ll make it quick”.
Once I was outside the cell, Fireball and Wholesale moved out of the way before closing it. “We’re busting you out of here bolts for brains”.
Okay, now I was even more confused.
“This way,” said Cyborg, and he headed towards the room at the end of the cell block. Wholesale gave us a nod, and soon we were all following behind him.
“Once I grab the supplies, we head up the stairs and make a run for the door,” said Cyborg. He lead us out of the cell block and into the room at the end. It was mostly occupied by some old file cabinets and a rusty metal desk. A few keys hung from a nearby rack, and a set of stairs rose up from the upper right corner.
“Wait here a moment,” he said. He then moved to one of the file cabinets and began rooting around in it.
Meanwhile, my hard drive was so chaotic Discord would have applauded it!
I just kept asking myself: why were they rescuing me? Why are they in such as rush? And why isn’t there a guard in here? None of these were being answered, and even if this wasn’t the time to answer them I still wanted it to happen.
“So….why are you three rescuing me?”
Fireball gave me a side smile. “First off, it’s not just us. A lot of the remaining ponies think you’re on our side. Especially that new group; the ones that you brought in a few days ago”.
“They’re alive!” I was glad to hear that: even after all that had happened, Caliber’s group had still managed to hold out.
“Yeah,” continued Fireball. “And they were pretty eager to help get you out of here”.
“As for the why,” said Wholesale, “a lot of us saw how determined you were to stop those synths.”
She turned toward Cyborg (who was still routing through the file cabinets) and smiled. “And Cyborg told us what you did for him at his place”.
“Given all of that, plus our personal interactions, we knew we couldn’t let Mayor Dumb-Ass use you for scrap,” said Fireball.
Cyborg stopped looking through the cabinets and pulled out two sets of saddle bags. He put one over his back, then threw the other one to me.
“So we came up with a plan: while the others create a distraction, we sneak you out of town,” he said with a straight face.
I guess that would explain the saddle-bag he’d thrown me….but it didn’t explain why he had on one as well.
“Why do you have a saddle-bag too Cyborg?”
The unicorn stallion was silent for a moment; he kept his eyes focused on the ground. But soon, he looked back up at me with a determined face.
“Somepony has to take the blame for breaking you out….and that’s going to be me”.
I didn’t know if I should be feeling happy, sad, or confused. Cyborg had clearly shown me earlier that he was angry at me for being a synth. Now, he wanted to help me escape and take the blame?
“But why,” I asked. “They’ll probably see you as a traitor for doing this. You’re throwing away everything you have here for somepony you thought was a traitor!”
Cyborg face turned into a snarl, but soon he breathed and put his neautral face back on. “Because I know now that I was wrong. You saved me from those synths; something I doubt you’d do if you were on their side”.
He sighed sadly. “Plus, I don’t mind leaving this town. It was attacked because the synths were looking for me. If I go, then maybe TSIM won’t send any more here”.
That was a very noble thing to do. Giving up a potential life just to save ponies you care about.
If anypony could relate, I knew I could.
“Now come on, it’s time to make our escape.”
Cyborg turned and headed for the stairs in the corner. The three of us followed behind him; running up the stairs as fast as our legs could move us.
When we reached the top, I saw that we were in what looked like an old police station. Desks were everywhere, but almost every one was broken or damaged beyond repair. Posters hung from the wall that depicted either Wonderbolts or Propaganda from the Ministry of Image.
“This way,” said Cyborg.
He lead us to a door on the opposite wall, which was slightly ajar. Given the darkness inside the room, light was able to pour in from the other side. Cyborg took a stand on one side of the door, and Fireball soon joined him. Wholesale and Me took positions on the other side.
“I’ll have a look,” said Cyborg, and then slowly pushed the door open slightly.
The three of us waited as Cyborg scanned the outside. But eventually, he pulled his head back in. This time, he was smiling slightly.
“So far so good; no guards in the immediate vicinity”.
“What about along the walls,” asked Wholesale.
“I couldn’t tell from here,” said Cyborg. “I think it’s best Garcon and Me go along the back of the shops. It’s less likely we’ll be seen from there”.
Wholesale and Fireball nodded, then moved from the sides of the door to directly in front of it.
“We’ll cover you while you make it across the street. If we start firing, duck,” said Fireball.
The two pushed open the door and ran out into the street.
“Let’s go Garcon,” said Cyborg.
I nodded in agreement, and the two of us headed out the door.
***
“Oh Sweet Luna”.
I thought the town had looked bad from the front gates. But from the other end, it was even worse.
The buildings along the T-intersection were raveged with burn marks and bullet holes. Windows were broken, and some buildings even looked close to collapsing. The road was cracked and split even more than before, and red stains were everywhere!
I wanted to stop and think about what I was seeing….but I didn’t have time. Fireball and Wholesale were standing in the middle of the road; looking around the area. Fireball waved a hoof at us, indicating us to go.
Cyborg and Me ran across the street to a small alley way between two buildings. Once we were there, Wholesale and Fireball followed us.
“Okay, this alley way leads to the spaces behind the shops. You should be well covered there,” said Fireball.
“So as of now,” said Wholesale, “you two are on your own”.
“What,” I said surprisingly. “You’re just going to abandon us?”
“They have to,” snapped Cyborg. “If they want to look innocent, they can’t be seen with us. It’s best if they head back home and pretend nothing is different”.
“That’s right,” said Fireball. She moved over and wrapped her legs around me in a hug. “But hey, you be safe out there. I’d hate to know I did all of this for nothing”.
She released her legs from me, but soon I was once again wrapped in a hug: this time from Wholesale.
“What she said….but also something else”. Wholesale moved back and gave me a large smile. “I hope you find your family”.
If it wasn’t for the fact that she’d just given me one, I would have given her a hug.
That was the reason I was doing all of this: to find my family. If I wanted to find them, I had to be better. I had to make it out of here, and these ponies were helping me.
“Thank you,” I said. “For everything. I will never forget what you did for me”.
Fireball chuckled before giving me a small punch in the leg. “Don’t start talking like that; it’s too corny”.
“And it’s eating up our time,” said Cyborg. “We need to go, now”.
The two mares looked at us for a moment. Then, with a slight nod, they turned around and walked away. And soon, they had turned a corner and were out of sight.
“Come on,” said Cyborg. “Let’s get out of this town”.
“Right,” I replied, and we moved down the alley way and down the space behind the shops.
It was fairly empty except for a few trash cans and some pieces or debris. The space also wasn’t very big; there was barely enough space for both me and Cyborg to walk side-by-side.
But eventually, we reached the part where the wall curved.
“Down this way,” said Cyborg.
We headed down another alley way between two shops. When Cyborg reached the other side, he peered around the corner. “What do you see,” I asked.
“Nothing,” he replied. “The front gate is clear.”
“There aren’t any guards protecting it?” I thought after everything that had happened recently, they'd be more security measures.
“There aren’t that many guards left,” said Cyborg. “The ones that are left are being distracted so we can leave”.
He looked around the corner again. “Alright, looks clear. Let’s go!”
The two of us ran around the corner and towards the front gates. The large metal doors that had been knocked off during the attack had been replaced by bags of sand. It rose to about the top of my head, and formed an arch formation behind the entrance.
Cyborg and I ran through a slot in the middle and into the wasteland once again.