Rainbow Dash went to the room where Matilda was sleeping, there she once again checked on her would. Looks like everything is healed. Matilda woke up and now she had been observing Rainbow.
“I don’t know what you did but I never saw wounds heal that quickly.”
.
“Oh that, I just injected you with something called stimpack, I assumed it was medicine, the rest was the work of medical nanobots,” Rainbow said with the monotone voice like if explaining a lecture to a class full of students.
“Can’t say I've heard of it what are they?”
"They are miniaturized nano sized robots, this once specifically designed for medical purposes." Rainbow Dash continued with the same monotone voice. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"If I remove hoof cuffs from you right now, what will you do?" Rainbow finished what she needed to do and then threw the now bloody disposable hoof wear in the trash. The standard medical training required her to use sterile equipment, and she won't start doing half-assed jobs now.
"I don't really know, honestly I am beaten, exhausted and done. The only reason I was even here is that I need it a shelter for the night. At first, I thought that this Stable is a good idea at that time. I've should have known better than to trust abandoned Stables."
"So you are in the same boat like me then. I am to was looking for a shelter," Rainbow said casually. "Why are you looking at me like that? I am serious. Tell you what I want you to stay with me for at least some time. I am not trying to be all mushy or anything, I just need someone to talk too, and you just fit the bill. So what do you say,?"
"Wow, it's been like thirty minutes and you didn't try to kill me, or threatened to do so."
"Oh har, har! What do you take me for, a psychopath? I am not that delusional." Rainbow Dash then went to the bed and then removed hoof cuffs from Matilda. "Here look, I set you free from the captivity of the blasted Enclave."
Matilda giggled, "Oh wait I completely forgot, I need to pay you for healing me, even though you could just easily left me for death."
"Nuh, don't worry about it! Somehow I don't think I am running a legitimate business in the middle of nowhere."
"Well if you are sure you wouldn't need the caps?" Matilda said happily, satisfied that she won't need to pay."More money for me then."
"Yeah don't make it weird! It's kind of my fault that you got shot."
"Yeah, okay sorry my bad, it just who is talking about making it weird. This is the first time I heard anyone who shot at me starts to apologize for it."
"Well first for everything," shrugged Rainbow.
"You don't understand, it's like you are a Stable dweller or something," Matilda noticed confused Rainbow. Stable dwellers are survivors of the war who lived or sometimes still prefer to live In it. Sometimes other ponies prefer to make settlements in the Stables simply because Stables already have the prebuilt basic infrastructure."
"So what are you saying that I am some kind of noob that can't even defend myself?"
"Oh no, no. It's nothing like that. I mean In the old days they used to be pretty weak at unprepared attack."
"I would figure that security systems here are well shit, and just anyone can open that door from outside if they know how?" Rainbow wasn't surprised at that point at the pre war pony incompetence, it would seem that everything went downhill sometime in the future.
"Yeah, that usually how it went down, a competent hacker or somepony has a bright idea to throw a stick of dynamite."
"A dynamite really now that the best they could do to crack this shell open?" Rainbow asked the question while snickering at the thought of how ridiculous that idea has been. "Listen, let's say what if I wanted to call dibs on this shelter, and let's say I wanted to make sure that ponies would come and live here. So would that make me like a big boss or something."
"I suppose if that's what you really want? Then yes, I suppose that it's kind of possible, um the correct term is overseer."
"I see some benefit from this, I mean we could easily set up some sort of system here. I don't know what I am going to do, but it looks like I am going to stay here for a while," Rainbow shrugged off. "Also I don't really have anything else to do, and I suppose If I really get bored I could go on some heroic quest or something."
"Before you go I really want to give you something, if you don't want to accept caps than maybe you will take this?" Matilda took a small orb from a bag nearby and offered it to Rainbow.
"Uh, this is not a bomb is it?"
"What? No! Why would you think that?" Matilda suddenly realized something. "You are afraid of me, isn't it? You are afraid that I would hold some pity grudge against you!"
"Well, wouldn't you? I shot at you remember!"
"It's uh, It's complicated alright I thought you are with Enclave and I thought you are..."
"You assumed my identity based on my species, is that it? Rainbow interrupted her."
"Well yes, and you also look so much like her."
"Like I said me and she aren't the same ponies. Also, why does it matter?" Rainbow asked with annoyance in her voice.
"No, I suppose it isn't."
"So, if it's not a bomb then what it is?"
"Oh that's just a memory orb, usually they are filled with memories of the pre-war ponies, but this one is special because it happens to be a blank slate. Meaning that nothing is recorded on it. We may not have the fancy technology you are used to but ours have been based a lot on magic. And well before the war Equestria have been very primitive, they used coal trains, and well when the war hit because everyone had been so hanging up about it, this is when it really escalated. You can imagine that it didn't end up well for them."
Rainbow Dash had a sudden idea "I was thinking of going to Crystal Empire, or at least to try to find it's ruined. Do you suppose you want to go with me?"
"Yeah, I guess it would be fun, I mean if your Empire did have that level of technology. I am actually surprised that no one heard about it. At least the Steel Rangers, the original branch of Applejack Rangers would have a heart attack if they knew."
"Steel Rangers, who are they?" asked Rainbow
"Steel Rangers are a cult of the pre-war technology. Original members came from the descendants of the pre war military. They've become so obsessed with preserving the technology that they started to prioritize the pre war junk over the lives of others."
Rainbow winced at the level of corruption that seemed to plague Equestria in the future. "And I assume the Applejack Rangers are rebels?"
"Pretty much yes," Matilda nodded.
"Thanks, I guess I'll go and prepare for the expedition and I suppose when you are ready we will depart." With that Rainbow Dash exited the room to see what else she could find useful in the vault.