//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: No Fly Zone // Story: Fallout: Equestria – Icarus // by MuseoSansPony //------------------------------// A cold breeze blew in as the bar’s door opened and let me in from the rain. My entrance was punctuated by a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder.  The resulting gust of wind blew my tattered brown overcoat away from my rear hooves.  I slowly limped over to the counter and sat down at one of the stools.  I let out a heavy sigh.  The tan coated bartender looked up and approached me. “What’ll ya have?” they asked plainly. “Whatever’s strongest.” I replied coldly. “Wild Pegasus it is.” he stated, levitating over the bottle and a glass, “So, stranger, what’s your story?” “It is a long and terrible tale.  Full of bloodshed and sorrow.” I explained, solemnly taking the drink in my hooves and taking a sip. “Ain’t everypony’s?” he inquired, moving to wipe down the other end of the counter. “Others don’t start by falling out of the sky and end with all your friends dying.” I spat bitterly. The bartender was taken aback by my blunt statement, but a short while later he began cleaning the counter again, moving steadily closer. “Well, now I agree that not every story has those particular events in ‘em, but all are tragic.  It is just a simple fact of the wastes.” He sighed sympathetically, “If y’all are interested in sharing, I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” “It was a special day.  I had finally graduated from the Neighvaro Military Academy and was on my way to become a full fledged member of the Enclave military.” I reluctantly began. “Wait, you’re a pegasus?” The bartender asked in bafflement. Without saying a word I lifted my coat to reveal the duel scars where my wings had once been.  The bartender winced instinctively in the imagined pain. “I did say I fell out of the sky.” I deadpanned taking another sip of my drink, “You want to hear this story or not?” “Sorry, yes, go on.”  he replied apologetically as he began polishing a few of the chipped glasses beneath the bar, “Before you do though, can I ask your name?” “Cumulonimbus.” I replied nonchalantly, “Private Cumulonimbus.  Serial Number 32-219-950.” I paused as I finished my glass and held it out for a refill.  The bartender just sighed and poured me a new glass.  After another sip, I began. *** *** *** It was a special day.  I had finally graduated from the Neighvaro Military Academy and was on my way to become a full fledged member of the Enclave military.  I was busying myself with packing up my old dorm room as I impatiently waited for my raptor assignment.  Most of my other classmates got theirs already, and many had already shipped out for their first patrol. Then the PA system let out a loud squawk followed by 10 seconds of feedback.  I stopped what I was doing and listened, hoping it was going to be about me. “Private Cumulonimbus, please report to General Updraft’s office.  Immediately.” It announced. Extatic, I quickly flew out the door and up to the main building.  My heart was thumping against my chest so hard I thought it would leap out of my body.  I took a moment to compose myself before calmly knocking a hoof on the door to the general’s office. “Private Cumulonimbus reporting for duty, sir!” I shouted in the most respectful voice possible. “At ease, Private,” the commanding voice of the general came from the other side of the door. “You may enter.” I calmly opened the door and entered the office. Inside, a vintage wartime poster was hung on almost every wall, all of it propaganda still used by the enclave today. The desk was cluttered with notes and memos from all over pegasi controlled airspace. I tried not to read them as it some might be classified above my clearance level, but some things did stand out to me. “–Increased dragon activity near the western border. It is migration season, so keep your eyes peeled during patrols.” one read. “Hostility with Griffon high command coming to a head. Grindelwald wants to renegotiate peace accord.  Wants all territory taken in Seven Year Skirmish.” read another. The general cleared his throat to draw my attention back to him.  It was then I noticed the two other ponies in the room.  I recognized them by their armor.  Vice General Starboard and Admiral Fiery Flight.  I immediately stood at attention, flushing slightly as I had not noticed the high ranking officials before hoof “Sorry sirs, I had no idea you would be here, sirs!” I shouted ignoring the sinking feeling in my gut. Such high ranking officials don’t come to an assignment briefing.  Did I do something wrong? “At ease.” Admiral Fiery said reassuringly, “ We are just here to ask a few questions.” I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. “Questions?” I asked meekly. “Yes.” Vice General Starboard replied, “When was the last time you spoke with your father?  Has he contacted you recently?” “Uuuh,” I stammered, “he called the day before graduation.  Said he couldn’t make it.  Never said why.” “Private, you have your whole career ahead of you.  Don’t lie, it won’t end well for you.” the Vice General said sternly. “Gentleponies, I think we are going about this all wrong.  The Private doesn’t know anything.  It is best we tell him the truth.” General Updraft cut in. I swallowed hard and asked, “What’s going on with my dad?” “Your father has gone Dashite.” General Updraft stated bluntly. I couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.  Becoming a Dashite was the most dishonoring thing an Enclave pegasus could do.  Even if your family didn’t defect with you, just one family member going Dashite brings shame on your whole family for generations. “Normally we’d not care too much about a civilian leaving. We care a bit more if they are of some value to us, like a scientist or soldier.” General Updraft explained, “Your father fits into that second category.  To add insult to injury, he absconded with some important research.  We want it back.” “Wh-what do you want me to do?” I asked nervously. “Go and bring your father back alive to face justice and I’ll personally make sure him going Dashite doesn’t effect your career.” Vice General Starboard replied, “Dismissed.” ***  ***  *** The freshly minted armor visor tinted my vision amber.  I had been flying for a few hours since receiving the news that my father had gone Dashite.  The data he had stolen was stored on an old model pipbuck.  I had the tag loaded into my armor's HUD and the marker pointed farther west. The whole time I was flying I was thinking one question: Why? What I really should have been thinking was the direction I was heading.  The same direction that one discarded memo mentioned a dragon migration.  Had I thought about that I wouldn’t be here now. As I flew, the marker on my HUD got closer.  25 meters, 20 meters, 15 meters, 10 meters, five meters, four, three, two, one.  I was right on him. Where was he?  The marker’s location updated to show 15 meters once again, but this time with a small downward pointing arrow.  15 meters, down?  I stopped and looked below where I was hovering.  Below me I saw the top of a mountain poking above the cloud cover with a cave that looked big enough to hide in near the summit. Carefully I landed and trotted up to the cave entrance.  I readied my firing bit and my twin novasurge rifles on my battle saddle sparked to life. “Dad?” I called into the cave. “Dad, ad, ad, ad.” my voice echoed in the darkness. I took a step forward and continued talking, “No sense hiding, I have your pipbuck tag. Come out!” “Out! Out! Out.” the echo called back. I then tripped the wire I hadn’t noticed that was set on the floor.  4 apple shaped objects with a blue band on them fell from the ceiling.  On instinct, I jumped back into the air just as the spark grenades exploded, nearly missing me.  In the blinding light of the explosion, the dark form of my father darted from the cave. Blinking the after images of the explosion out of my vision, I gave chase.  Though being an older stallion, he still was much nimbler and faster than I thought he would be.  He darted and maneuvered with ease even with his bulkier outdated power armor.  We flew over another mountain top and came face-to-face with a flock – group – horde of migrating dragons. “I’m so sorry, son.” he called as he slowed slightly, “You’ll understand in time.” He then flew right into the horde.  Grunting from exertion I flew in after him.  Instantly I was set upon by the nearest dragon.  Out of the corner of my vision, I saw my dad engage a stealth buck and he vanished from sight. I screamed in frustration as I lost my target, but was now preoccupied by the gargantuan dragon moving to attack me.  I was in no way prepared to engage a dragon.  Almost no pony would have been, save a few of the mud dwelling steel rangers. I dodged a stream of fire moments before it barbecued me, just scorching my underside.  Then another swooped in from above forcing me to move down again.  Unfortunately, I was not quick enough.  The dragon's claw grabbed hold of my wings and kept on going.  I felt a sharp searing pain in my back.  This was followed by the sound of scraping metal and a fleshy pop and my wings – armor and all – were ripped clean off.  I then dropped like a rock.  The last thing I remembered was falling beneath the cloud cover before I blacked out. ***  ***  *** I awoke to the feeling of bandages being wrapped around my body and being very much alive.  The only part of my body that hurt was my back – where my wings should have been.  Though the pain dulled as the magic contained in the bandages began to slowly heal the wound. I slowly opened my eyes and expected to see the medical bay of a raptor or an Enclave hospital.  What I saw was a wrecked shamble of a farmhouse.  All the windows were shattered and the floor was devoid of furniture.  I glanced to the flickering light in the center of the room and noticed the ornate oak leg of a coffee table burning in the fire and figured that was where the furniture had gone.  Above me, the dull light of early morning, defused by the cloud cover, filtered in through the newly formed skylight I’d made when I crash landed. Realizing I was down on the irradiated wasteland below the clouds, I jumped up, knocking the petite, off-white earth pony with a curly mess of a brown mane to the floor. “Get your hooves off me you filthy mud dweller!” I rasped through parched lips before my back’s pain flared up and I dropped to the floor. “Feh!” the mare scoffed, “If I do as you wish, you’ll bleed out.  Then what kind of medic would I be?” I grunted in frustration as she began to tighten the bandages again.  As she did I glanced at her flank.  A magnifying glass adorned her flank. “Your cutie mark doesn't look like that of a medic.” I grumbled as she finished fixing the bandages and injected a small dose of med-x. “True, but I was trained to heal the others.” she said vaguely. I ignored her vagueness, this mare was not part of my mission and I needed to find my father.  Wings or not I was going to complete the task asked of me.  Maybe once I brought my father back, the Admiral or Vice General could swing me some cybernetics. I looked around for my armor.  In the corner of the room, masked in shadow, was its remains.  The wing covers, as expected, were ripped clean off.  The frayed wires lying exposed to the elements.  The auto repair talisman had began to close off the damaged back of the armor, but without the missing parts or a hell of a lot of extra scrap metal, the best it could do was make the edges less jagged.  The insectoid helmet had a few dings not yet repaired, and the visor was cracked along the left side, likely from my crash.  I figured the repair talisman was busy trying to fix the wings and hadn’t begun to fix the less damaged visor. The mare then moved over to a rifle positioned at the front window of the farmhouse as I got to my hooves. The med-x did its job and allowed me to move with little pain as I strapped on the armor.  When I did, the HUD flickered to life.  The marker of my father was far to the north of my location, and I watched as the marker winked out. Damnit! He must have found a way to mask his signal. I didn’t have time to dwell on it as the mare echoed my angry sentiment, but for another reason. “Fuck! They found me.” she said from the front of the house. “Who–” I began but a stern glare from her silenced me as she poured a bottle of foul looking water on the fire, putting it out. “My former owners.” she muttered bitterly, “Guy’s a genius buisnesspony, but prefers to deal in pony trafficking, prostitution and chems than a more reputable trade.” “Ah, yes the savagery of the irradiated, mud dwellers I’ve heard about at the academy.” I muttered beneath my breath. She just huffed angrily and put her eye back on the scope.  I slowly moved to a small hole in the wall next to the door to see the commotion outside.  There was a mint green stallion with a pale orange mane standing outside with four more raiders.  The stallion wore a pair of scratched aviator glasses and had a toothpick in his mouth.  His battle saddle comically held a very small magic energy pistol. “Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Looker, honey, trying to hide the fact you are in there.” the stallion outside said in a patronizing tone, “The smoke is a clear sign you are there.  Too bad your refuge has a hole in the roof.” BANG! A shot fired from Looker’s gun and impacted the ground in front of the stallion, stopping him in his tracks. “Well now, Rolling Caps said he wants you alive, but I can just as easily bring you back slightly roughed up.” he spat angrily. The stallion motioned with his hoof and the band of raiders that accompanied him began to close in on the house. “Those things work or are they just for show?” the mare to my right whispered, motioning to my battle saddle. I looked at my HUD before answering.  One of the noversurge rifles was out of commission – another thing ignored by the repair talisman until I could fix the wings.  The other was still working – a bit dinged up, but working.  I nodded and took the firing bit into my mouth. I may not like it. I thought to myself as I focused through the cracked amber visor, but if I don’t help this mud dweller, I too will be a slave to this Rolling Caps. I took a step back from the wall and aimed at the door.  Another shot rang out from Looker’s rifle and the resounding sound of it hitting flesh was heard a second later.  Then the sound of a body flopped to the wooden porch. BANG! A raider’s shotgun tore a hole in the door and peppered me with splinters of decaying wood.  He had a crazed look in his eye.  The unicorn laughed maniacally, aming another shot.  Though it would have done little to my mostly armored form, he never got off the shot as I chomped down on the bit and fired a shot of magical energy.  It slammed right into his muzzle, and he disintegrated into a pile of ash.  The shotgun he had clattered to the floor. With the doorway now clear, I took to the air and immediately fell flat on my face due to my wings no longer being attached to my back.  Pain spiked under the bandages as I got back to my hooves.  I toggled SATS to assist in targeting the stallion at a distance in the cracked visor and time slowed to a standstill.  I selected a single shot to his torso that read 81%.  I released the spell, and time resumed.  Then nothing happened as the undamaged novasurge rifle didn’t fire.  It just fizzed and popped as unseen damaged parts finally gave way and prevented it from firing. Fuck! Another raider took this chance to charge with a sharpened shovel.  Reacting quickly, I dodged her charge and stuck out a hoof to trip her.  She clattered to the floor and dropped the sharpened shovel.  Before she had the chance to get up I stomped down heavily on her head.  The weight of my body and armor crushed her skull with a resounding pulpy pop. Another shot rang out from Looker’s rifle, dropping the last raider accompanying the stallion.  Instead of fleeing the stallion just smirked. “Well, well, you found a friend who thinks he’s a pegasus. And you are a very good shot little lady.” he sneered. “Fuck off.” Looker shouted from the window lining up her shot. “And I am a pegasus.” I spat. “Could have fooled me.” he replied in his patronizing tone, “Though, pegasi are so rare nowadays.  Maybe you are one, wingless as you may be, you’ll just fetch a much higher price.” I picked up the discarded shotgun in my mouth and pulled the trigger with my tongue.  The buckshot barely peppered the stallion’s barding, but it did knock the toothpick out of his mouth and cracked his glasses. The stallion then angrily picked up the firing bit of his battle saddle and pressed down with his teeth.  What happened next I did not expect.  There was a loud bang as the sound barrier was broken by a small explosion near the muzzle small gun.  A large pink and green beam lanced into the farmhouse.  I was barely able to jump out of the way in time to not be vaporized.  My wrecked novasurge rifles were not as lucky and were vaporized into a fine grey powder along with the center of the farmhouse. The stallion just laughed as he took in our duel shocked expressions, “And that wasn’t even full power.  Resistance is futile. Come with me back to Rolling Caps, or die.” I just glanced over across the missing section of the farmhouse at the mare.  She just dropped her rifle from the remains of the windowsill and hung her head in resignation.  With my noversurges and wings gone, there wasn’t much I could do either.  So I followed suit and dropped the shotgun. ***  ***  *** Footnotes: Cumulonimbus – Level 1 S - 7 P - 7 E - 6 C - 4 I - 6 A - 7 L - 3 Traits: Enclave Private – you have been given training by the Enclave and have achieved the rank of Private.  You are privy to and access to base level Enclave data, and access to the encrypted general use Enclave broadcast signal. Quest Perk added: Wingless – your wings have been forcibly removed.  Permanent -2 to Agility and you can no longer gain any perks related to wings. Looker – Level 3 S - 3 P - 7 E - 7 C - 7 I - 7 A - 6 L - 3 Traits: Medic – You are the group medic.  This gives you an increase of 10 to your max health and 15 to your medicine skill. Quests Started: Dashite Retention – Track down your father and bring him to justice for his crimes.