The tram raced down the tube. Once it exited the command sector "station," the tube opened into a wider section again. More transparent walls lined this section of the tube, offering what Phoenix would've described as an awe-inspiring view of a massive subterranean cavern full of drilling equipment and construction-based Magic Gears. He almost said as much, but Dan was busy trying to pursue Silver Spoon.
"How do you make this go-kart minecart go-mine faster?!"
Powdy used her magic to push a lever all the way forward. The tram accelerated in response. "You're welcome~" she said, without Dan having to say anything.
"What are we going to do when we catch up to Silver Spoon?" Phoenix asked.
Dan turned to him deliberately. "Well, we have two guns, two bomb-making, a few blunt objects and of course, my never-ending supply of homicidal rage(tm). So I was thinking we could just talk, really work out our differences with her," he said calmly. "You know, constructively."
(I have to ask.) "Really?"
"NO!!! I'm going to DRAW AND QUARTER HER SLOWLY WHILE SOMEPONY DRAWS A PICTURE OF THAT IN QUARTERS. I WILL AUCTION OFF PIECES OF HER TO HER FAMILY USING SAID PICTURES AS INVITATIONAL GIFT CARDS! I WILL THEN USE THE PROFITS FROM SAID ENDEAVOR," he had to stop for a moment. Red in the face, Fusey gave him a glass of water. "Thank you. TO SET UP A SCHOLARSHIP TO TEACH OTHER PONIES HOW TO KILL STUCK-UP FILLIES THE SAME WAY!!!"
Fusey patted Dan on the back. "As long as you're committed to working out your differences constructively."
"I... I like the scholarship idea," Phoenix admitted. (The rest of it, no. But I'm willing to count this as progress... I guess.) "But how are we going to catch up to her? What if this track is all connected and we're just going in a big circle?"
"Way ahead of you, Wrighto," Powdy said. She was busy crafting bombs while Fusey dropped them over the back of the tram as it continued carrying them.
"Oh, so NOW you two can make bombs? I thought you were out!" Dan yelled over his shoulder.
"We ran out of energy."
"It happens."
"Especially when we use a lot at one time."
"But we recharged!"
"We're good now."
"Want one?" Fusey held up her hoof and a bomb poof-appeared in it, the classic bowling ball-and-wick variety. "It's set to proximity!"
"Eh, sure," Dan said. Unlike the others, Dan tossed it upward and it stuck to the ceiling on its wick. It hung they as they continued shooting past, Blast Fuse and Blast Powder continued mining the path behind them with bombs.
The tram continued down the tube at top-speed. The corridor in it continued to change as they passed sections, different stations and even interchanges. They all began to realize that it would be pretty easy to get lost in the depths of the base.
After passing the third ominously-empty weapons factory floor, Phoenix asked, "Are we even going the right way any more?"
"Yes," Dan said, still gripping the controls though there weren't any other options other than to go forward and adjust speed. "My JERK senses are tingling; I can tell she's just up ahead!"
"I'm not going to ask how that even works."
They passed another station and came to another transparent section. And they were immediately stunned; outside in these caverns were not expanses of machinery or conveyor belts of weapons and machines, but markers. Black-red markers as tall as some buildings that stretched halfway up the room. The only reason they stopped is because corresponding markers hung from the ceiling.
"I'm not going to say it," Dan said, ignoring the twisting double-helix pillars of ominous intent. "I'm just not going to say it. And none of you-"
"Well, this is new," Fusey said.
"YOU SAID IT! I SAID NOT TO SAY IT AND YOU SAID IT!!" Dan yelled.
"What are these things?" Phoenix asked.
"They're markers," Lightning's voice said from the intercom.
"Lightning?"
"Hi Lightning!" Powdy waved, as if he could see them. And, to her credit, he could.
"Uh, hi," he replied. "Colress tapped us into the intercom system. We're in the control room and we have you on monitor."
Dan grinned. "Excellent, kid now where's Silver Spoon?"
"She's at the junction up ahead. You're heading into the core maintenance tunnels now so it might get hot in there."
"Hot. Wonderful. And this thing doesn't have AC."
"Lightning, what exactly are we looking at now?" Phoenix asked. "Are these all... Sword Spells?" White tendrils of energy ran the length of the pillars, becoming a crackling surge of electricity at the tips until it finally connected with the ones above.
"No, those are Markers. Sword Spells are made by breaking them in half."
Phoenix shook his head. (There's enough here to nuke ten Equestrias... and then, they have armies being built. Why do they need all this firepower? What are they trying to do?) "What are they planning on doing with these things?"
Colress' voice came back this time. "They're building a new Equestria. A new planet using the magic from the old Equestria and materials from Earth," he explained. "The Markers are drawing in and focusing magic from across the planet, concentrating different types and channeling it into the core. Different ideas, concepts, feelings- from both Earth and Equestria are being focused into a single point. When it's ready, they're going to launch it into space using a volcano... and it will become the spell that brings fourth a new Equestria. A new generation."
"Gen-five," Blast Fuse and Blast Powder said simultaneously. "And we're gen-four OC's."
"We're boned."
"Mega-boned."
"No one's boned," Dan declared. "We're blowing up all this crap. Screw the next generation. What have they ever done for us, anyway?"
"I kinda hope they like my games," Phoenix said bashfully.
"You know what I mean," Dan said. "Mark this place with a special bomb or something; we're gonna wanna make sure this room is like, completely blown up."
"Creepy chamber of evil-magic-stealing-obelisks is now on the "Destroy on Sight/Kill with Fire" list, Danno," Fusey said, holding a list in her hoof.
"What else is on that list?" Phoenix asked.
Fusey held it up again. "That wold be: Vice Grip, The Director, Blueblood, hippies, Silver Spoon, vending machines that don't give you back the correct amount of change yet nobody fixes them and Blueblood."
"Blueblood's on it twice?"
"Eeyep."
Dan shook his head. "Flip it over."
Fusey complied. "Oh... actually, he's on it a hundred-and-five times. They're numbered."
The doors in front of the Tram opened into the next section. A wave of heated air washed out to greet them. Unlike the other parts of the tram tube, the walls in the section beyond were completely metal. The doors on the outside displayed the words in bold: CORE.
"Well, here's the red logos you told us to look for," Powdey said.
Dan nodded. "Silver Spoon first. Then we blow this place to kingdom come."