Chapter Thirty-Nine: Into the Arcane
“This needs to be studied!”
The reception area seemed to be clear, thankfully. Still, saying that, we’d already wrecked the robots that were probably guarding it before the Steel Rangers came along. Still, no one was keen on rushing this place. We slowly moved into the building, me at the front with the others close behind, keeping an eye out for any surprises that might come our way.
And so too did the Steel Rangers themselves follow in after that, one giant hoofstep at a time. They were huddled around the Scribe protectively, ensuring that at least one of the ponies who could shut this place down didn’t get shot.
There were several more destroyed robots already in here, along with several points along the roof that had stray wires and charred metal hanging from it. The remnants of the last time the Rangers had rolled through, I’d guess. Aside from that, the room looked quite bare-boned. Or maybe ‘efficient’ was the word. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of decoration, even before the bombs fell. It was just a plain room with a single reception desk dominating the centre of the room. The desk was circular with several busted terminals sitting on it, though not much else.
“We’ve already taken anything of value in this section,” Scribe Roll In explained. “From those terminals mostly, there wasn’t much else to see. It seems the Ministry Mare preferred function over form and wasn’t one to flaunt herself.”
“That sounds about right,” Cobalt muttered. “Leave all of the flash to the Ministry of Morale and Image. All Twilight Sparkle cared for was efficiency.”
“Tenpony Tower would beg to differ,” I noted.
“That was different, given its dual nature. You haven’t seen the actual hub up top, where we in the Twilight Society usually spend our time.”
“Anything interesting?”
“None of the fancy things you’d see in the lobby or around the rooms. Metallic, efficient. Everything you’d expect from a mare of science.”
“Cut the chatter,” McRoar annoyingly demanded. “Take the door to the right. Move down the corridor. Slowly.”
“Sir yes sir,” Moon Blossom sarcastically said with a gag.
If that pissed the Steel Ranger off, he thankfully didn’t comment. Instead, I just nodded at the others to follow as we moved past the reception and further into the hub. I had my assault rifle pulled and pointed ahead of me, and I must admit to feeling very military right now. That’s definitely because of the Steel Rangers.
Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll devolve into the usual chaos the first time we spot a fucking Sentry Bot.
The corridor we next stepped into was also rather plain, another few destroyed turret emplacements hanging from the ceiling. There were some signs up ahead; most were signs to some offices and the toilets, but a couple of them read for a science lab and an atrium.
“We’re going to want to head in through the atrium,” Roll In stated. “We cleared the science lab and the offices in this section on the last expedition. Nothing of note, the former seemed to be where they’d test out new interns. Those offices are where we found the reference to the mainframe.”
“So, once we get into the atrium we are in unfamiliar territory?” Xena asked.
“Be ready,” McRoar commanded.
We turned a corner, bunching up by a large set of doors that were already open. And inside was a very large room.
It was even bigger than a stable atrium, and it also had a completely different aesthetic. The door in front of us led to the bottom floor, though peering into the large space I could see that it went up at least three more stories. At the very top of the atrium was a shattered glass dome that let in what little sunlight could reach the surface, lighting up the desolate place. It actually looked a little nicer than the other areas we’d seen, the odd wood panelling mixing in with the cold metals. The centre of the room also seemed to hold various tables and chairs alongside vending machines for both Sunrise Sarsaparilla and Sparkle-Cola.
I definitely had to hit up those before we left.
Still, it was blatantly something of a communal break area for the staff. Probably why it had an ever so slightly friendlier look to it. Or it would have done two hundred years ago, anyway. Now, it was filled with broken glass from the skylight and rubble from where bits of the walls had given way to time. One of the vending machines was also broken (Take that Sunrise Sarsaparilla!), and many of the tables and chairs were in general disarray.
Oh, and of course there were skeletons. There was always a skeleton or two.
Still, I couldn’t see any robots yet. My E.F.S. was also clear, though a few more wrecks were dotted around the area. The last we’d see pre-broken for a while if the Steel Rangers never got further in than this before.
“So, what happened the last time you got here?” Cobalt asked the Star Paladin.
“Our unit pushed into the atrium while scribes finished cataloguing everything we’d cleared,” McRoar explained. “Our knights pushed into the atrium and cleared the bottom floor. But when they attempted to access the next floor, they were caught in a crossfire when the machines got reinforcements from further in. Our forces had to pull back and defend the scribes, and they were then evacuated when their work was complete. We haven’t been back since.”
“Then let’s not waste any time.” Scribe Roll In stated. “The civies are leading the way, let’s get to where we’re going and fast.”
“Just watch your corners. Don’t make the mistake that we did and get yourselves ambushed.”
“Noted,” I dryly said back, taking my first step into the atrium and looking upwards to the other floors.
There didn’t seem to be anything waiting for us this time. But I knew that could and would change on the flip of a cap.
Things stayed quiet as we moved past the scattered tables and chairs, taking a moment to search around the room as the Steel Rangers kept watch. There were staircases either side of the room leading up to the next floor, small piles of ash still being scattered along the steps. The last ponies who tried to get up them I’d imagine.
Grim.
I ignored those for the time being. Instead, I started moving towards the back of the room while hitting up the intact vending machines along the way. With delicious Sparkle-Cola now in my saddlebags, I made sure to check the two elevators along the back wall. Predictably, nothing happened when I pressed the button.
There was a clang from behind me, and I turned to see that Moon Blossom had idly kicked a destroyed Mr Gutsy that was between two overturned tables. A couple of Steel Rangers looked her way, probably glaring at her from behind their helmets, but she remained oblivious.
“Well, this is all a bunch of junk,” she commented. “Where’s the excitement at?”
“According to the map, we should be on track for the mainframe one floor up and through the far door,” the Scribe noted, examining her own PipBuck. I guess she was following her own map marker, though mine looked like it was only leading towards the office.
Which, might I add, looked like it was right at the far end of the building on the top floor.
“Move on up the stairs,” Star Paladin McRoar said. “We’re waiting.”
“Alright, just give us a moment,” I snapped back at the impatient tin can, giving the floor one last look over before moving towards the leftmost staircase. Cobalt and Xena started to follow me up, Moon Blossom and Altrix opening their wings and simply flying up to the next floor.
And that’s when the first red bar appeared.
“Never mind!” I heard Moon Blossom shout as I spied her grab Altrix’s head fin between her teeth and yank the startled changeling back over the railing and to a rough landing on one of the tables below. Worse still were the red beams that followed their fall. “Those things are angry!”
Two. Three. Four. Seven red bars appeared on my Eyes Forward Sparkle in quick succession!
“Weapons free!” McRoar bellowed as he started to fire up at the first Mr Gutsy to poke its eyestalk up.
Another appeared at the top of the stairs, a red beam of magic sparking inches above our heads! Not exactly keen on getting more than those few singed hairs, I brought my rifle around and started laying into that machine! Simultaneously, Xena fired a round at the Mr Gutsy along with a bolt of magic from Cobalt. All our attacks laid waste to the robot, shredding through its armour and causing it to burst into flames.
More red bars were appearing, looking like they were coming from the upper floors!
“Unless we want to share the last expedition’s fate, we need to get upstairs!” Roll In urged.
“Move your asses then!” I shouted back at them, rushing forwards to try and find some cover.
I couldn’t see what the others were doing as I made a dive behind a pillar, which seemed to be one of the few actual things that could be used as cover up here! There was little up on this floor, just another set of stairs either side leading further up and a whole bunch of doors leading elsewhere.
And, of course, the one door we needed to go through was the one that had robots defending it.
Taking a moment to get my bearings, I saw a fuck ton of magical weapons fire being hurled down at us from the upper floors, my friends scampering up for cover while the Steel Rangers took the brunt of the damage while doing their best to avoid any pulses sent their way.
Still, there was a ceiling turret and six more Mr Gutsy robots between us and the door. Unless we could get through it, it was only a matter of time before those robots all came down the stairs and absolutely fucked us up!
Fortunately, the robots were grouped up.
I used my PipBuck’s inventory spell to quickly collect a fragmentation grenade from my saddlebags, pulling the pin and letting it cook for a moment. Looking around the pillar, Cobalt and Roll In were struggling to maintain a shield around the Steel Rangers they’d just placed to negate the pulses that were coming their way, momentarily stopping their armour from being shorted out. The moment that happened, we were toast.
Let’s hope this works!
I let the grenade fly, the small apple-like device bouncing between the robots and detonating in a cloud of fragmentation! One had its legs and thruster ripped off, the body being thrown over the edge. Two more were critically damaged and shredded while the other three all scattered to safety.
The Steel Rangers were not going to waste the opening.
The shield dropped and, in a stampede, they all charged forwards and into the defenders. The three intact machines were pounced upon and stamped into dust before they could try to disable them, the two damaged ones who’d lost their own pulse weapons trying to move back and fire their normal weapon at the incoming ponies in power armour. The red beams did little as they fired back, faring much worse and quickly being destroyed.
Xena emerged from her own cover and took aim at the turret as it tried to shoot a Steel Ranger, the machine exploding in a shower of sparks and debris after a single round was shot into it.
“Die you invading zebra scum!” I heard a Mr Gutsy shout as more began to pile in from the upper floors!
“Get through!” McRoar shouted, he and his knights turning to unleash suppressing fire at the robotic reinforcements. “Now!”
We didn’t argue, moving back and through the doorway alongside Scribe Roll In. The Steel Rangers waited for us to be into the next corridor before they also started to back themselves inside, the last one ensuring the close up the door behind us.
I was starting to see why the last few times they attempted this didn’t go so well.
“Well, we’ve set a new record,” Roll In dryly commented.
“We’re lucky not so many piled in onto the first floor this time,” McRoar chided. “Still, we’re here. Keep moving, they’ll keep on our tails until we succeed or die.”
We moved down the corridor, back to the bland metallic faceless efficiency. Roll In stuck with us now while the other Steel Rangers took the rear, the mare following the direction given to her by her PipBuck.
We were only a short way in when two more turrets descended from the ceiling. Moon Blossom acted instantly, dashing forward and latching onto one of them, jamming her knife in and using it to all but pry the weapon from the frame! The second turret fired down at us, a beam hitting and thankfully failing to breach Cobalt’s armour before it itself was absorbed in a flurry gunfire as we and the Rangers all opened up on it.
It was gone after the first few shots.
Moon Blossom discarded the electronics she’d torn out, re-joining us as we moved on.
There were a few branches in the corridor that we ignored, Roll In keeping us moving directly ahead. As we reached one branch, a red bar to my left appeared as we passed. Taking in a deep breath, I launched myself into S.A.T.S. before whatever it was had a chance to kill any of us.
It was a Protectapony, the robot in the middle of turning around to face us as I lined up three shots on its torso before letting it rip! In three burst, my bullets managed to breach the armour and hit something vital, the robots swaying and sparking as all sense seemed to leave it.
“Must eliminate. Must eliminate. Must- Must- Must elimmmm-”
There was one more spark, and robot collapsed into a heap.
From there, we quickly approached the end of the long corridor, and up ahead I could see two more broken elevators and two more branches. What I didn’t see, however, was any kind of indication that we were heading towards this mainframe.
“Where to next, Scribe?” McRoar asked.
“We move right until we reach the second branch left,” she reported. “From there we move again to the end of the corridor where there should another small passage to the left which ends in a staircase. According to these diagrams, that’s where the building’s own generators and computer control systems are located.”
“And that includes the mainframe for the robotic defences?” Cobalt asked.
“It should. All we need to do is find the right mainframe,” Roll In confirmed. “I’m sure you can handle that?”
“We’ll manage,” I retorted.
Reaching the end of the corridor, I glanced at the elevator to our left. Unlike the other, this one was open and, inside, was the skeleton of a pony in a yellow hard hat, a toolbox held in his hooves.
And then the building threw all it had at us.
“They’ve got the door open!” a Knight shouted, red bars bursting onto my E.F.S. in droves as all the robots from the atrium started to pour in.
And then, all the worse, the wall between the two elevators started to shift. The panel slid away, and from a hidden alcove rolled out the largest robot I’d ever had the displeasure of seeing up close. I could feel a pit opening in my stomach as I observed the three large treaded legs, thick armour plating and two enormous and bulky arms ending in a minigun and rocket launcher respectively.
Yeah, that’s a Sentry Bot.
“Fuck!” was all I could say as it rolled forwards, right into me since I was at the front of the group.
Even I heard the red magical laser beams start to fly, all I could do was try to brace myself as the robot lifted one of its arms and brought it down towards me! I tried to use my rifle as some kind of shield, but it felt like being hit by our own Sky Bandit as it smashed into me.
I felt myself fly for just a moment before pain erupted throughout my body as I smashed into the back wall of the open elevator. I could see my PipBuck urgently flashing red out of the corner of my eye, even as my vision shifted and swam almost hypnotically.
I was just about able to regain my bearings, enough so to see Star Paladin McRoar and Moon Blossom both brazenly charge into the sentry bot, grappling with the giant war machine as the others tried to hold off the incoming swarm, Roll In and Cobalt again attempting to deflect incoming pulses.
And then the elevator shuddered.
And then I was falling.
I came to… well, I’m not sure how much time later. All I knew was that my body ached something fierce and that the last thing I remembered was the brief sensation of falling to my death.
But given how shit I felt, I guess I hadn’t actually died.
A small groan escaped my lips as I turned myself over and off of my face. The world started to blur into focus, and I found a world that had seen the apocalypse all over again.
The elevator was now at an angle, sparks and flashes going off all around me. I was covered in a thick layer of dust, little pieces of twisted rubble lying all around me. My PipBuck was still flashing red, the Stable Colt diagram looking quite distressed. I know the feeling, buddy.
I slowly brought my hoof forward, as agonising as the action was, so I could get a better look at the device’s diagnosis. The torso region was flashing the most, the status bar holding only a sliver left in it. All my other limbs seemed to have taken a beating too, and I imagined I had fractures all over my body.
Ugh…
“Altrix…?” I called out to the changeling, noting my voice was little more than a croak. “Anybody…?”
No answer.
Seeing that I was alone, I slowly reached out for a Med-X from my bag. The moment I got the morphine into my system, some of the pain started to die away. Not all of it, but enough for me to sit up.
I was sure my spine had been damaged from when I hit the elevator. Hell, who knew what other damage my bones had suffered. I was really wishing Altrix was here, then she could easily have better examined the damage and done smart things with it. But as it was, I was probably dying, and she wasn’t here.
Healing potion it was. Though I was unfortunately aware that if any bones were misaligned that this was going to be very bad for me.
I just had to hope that they weren’t.
I took a sip from the healing potion, even more of the pain dying away. My body was allowed to slacken a little, relief flooding my senses. It didn’t seem like I’d just inadvertently paralysed myself, so I had to take that as a good sign.
With the Stable Colt looking a little happier, I forced myself forward and dragged myself out of the elevator. I had to use my magic to open the door a little further than they’d been knocked by the impact, but they offered little resistance. Once I was free, I find myself in another faceless corridor somewhere in the bowels of the facility.
Not ideal, but eh.
I gently stretched out my limbs, seeing no activity on my Eye Forward Sparkle for the moment. Still, that could change again quickly. If I was going to get back to my friends, I needed to-
Wait, where’s my gun?
Whipping around, I all quickly hopped back into the elevator to retrieve my assault rifle. However…
Oh… shit.
The rifle was well and truly bent in two. Looking it over, a lot of the insides had probably been crushed when the Sentry Bot had hit me. Yeah, this thing was never going to fire another bullet.
That’s two guns I’d lost recently. Why does the world hate me!?
Well, I guess my 9mm will have to do for the time being.
Stepping back out of the elevator again, I looked left and right down the corridor. Like upstairs, there was a second elevator along the wall. However, beyond that was just a dead end. The only way to go seemed to be right of my elevator, where there was a corner leading around to… wherever this all led.
I started to move off, slinking up to and peering around the next corner. There seemed to be a few inactive turret emplacements along the roof down the next corridor, but my pistol could probably deal with those after a few shots each. So long as nothing bigger came along.
And then, making me wish I’d never thought anything, I heard a familiar sound of a panel sliding away.
The red bar appeared right as I turned to spot the emerging Sentry Bot behind me.
“Hostiles detected,” the deep robotic voice declared. “Firing.”
I fired first, aiming for the head as my pistol’s bullets just uselessly pinged off the armour as its minigun started to spool up.
Alright, forget fighting. Running!
I ducked behind the corridor as an onslaught of bullets cascaded into the empty wall! I didn’t stop as the barrage ended, I could hear the tracks started to roll!
I bolted down the corridor, making sure to enter S.A.T.S. as the first turrets came online. After lining up my shots, the first two guns went down before they could let off anything. The third, however, opened up as I passed. I felt the heat of the shots landing around my galloping hooves and the excruciating burns of the few beams that hit my barding! Fortunately, as it did outside, most of the energy was absorbed while the turret failed to hit my exposed head.
I just fired blindingly up at it as I rushed past, a shower of sparks and a cease in the laser fire indicating I’d hit my mark.
And then, just as I turned the next corner leading rightwards, that was a pop and a whoosh as something was fired behind me. Rushing down the next corridor, I felt the tremor as the missile exploded where I had just been.
Yeah, still running.
The current corridor split off to the left about halfway and likewise continued to a closed door at the very end. I ignored the turn, running right towards the door and hitting the button.
“Access denied.”
“What do you mean access denied!?”
I could still hear it getting closer.
FUCK IT ALL!
I backtracked, slipping into the turn-off and trying one of the doors along it. It didn’t open, nor did the next, or the one after that!
And that just left me at a dead end.
This place just isn’t playing fair!
I pulled another grenade from my bag and prepped it. This little thing was going to be my last hope, and I was painfully aware of it. The moments immediately after were painful in of themselves, hearing the approach of the automated tank as it prepared to send me to the everafter a bit too early.
The moment I saw one of its legs roll into view, I threw the grenade.
It bounced down towards its target, detonating directly underneath the bastard as it turned the corner!
The explosion dented the armour, but it did little more than that.
You’ve got to be kidding me!
I shouted. I was angry. Damned angry. This stupid thing was going to put all that we’d worked for to an end like this!? Come one! Fuck. You!
I aimed my pistol and started to fire. Not stopping for a moment, even as it rolled closer towards me and raised its minigun. My bullets continued to ping off of the armour, doing little more than create more scuffs along the metal. I had nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. All I had was this little thing.
Dammit.
I saw the minigun start to spin, my thoughts turning towards Xena and my friends. They’d be fine. They’d reach the mainframe. They would.
My latest clip ran dry.
And then… then…
The robot didn’t shoot.
“Have a nice day.”
What?
The robot lowered its weapon, turning around and heading back the way it had come. A moment after, all of the doors around me started to open.
“Attention,” a voice sounded all around me. “Robotic defences have been set to standby. Direct your queries to Security Chief Hoofcuffs for more information.”
Fuuuuck me. Impeccable timing, guys.
Well, at least this meant that the others had done their thing. I guess they’d pushed their way to the mainframe, the Steel Rangers would be happy. Still, I hoped they had all made it alright.
But holy Celestia and Luna, that was… Gah! I hate robots!
Right, ignoring the fact that I’d almost died for the millionth time this past month… Yes, one of the doorways had opened up to a staircase. I think I’ll be taking that one.
I started the climb, moving up one floor to try and get back to the others. Unfortunately, when I got there, there didn’t seem to be a door. Seeing as I had no idea how this place was laid out, I guess I was just going to be wandering around until something stuck. At least I didn’t have to worry about the death machines following me anymore.
One more floor up, the door was jammed. I gave it a look over, tried unjamming it with my magic… Nothing. It was well and truly stick.
So, to the top of the building I go.
The door up top opened up just fine, thankfully. Stepping through, I was admitted into another corridor, albeit this one had windows lining the wall to my left. Looking inside, I could see quite a large office space. Following the corridor along, I was met with another turn off hallway which broke up the two separate blocks of office cubicles. An unlit sign was hanging from the roof, the indication on it being that I had just found myself in the administrative offices.
And my map marker was leading directly ahead.
I took the turn, heading off between the two offices. I reached the door at the very end, opening it to reveal a rather snug little room with three doors leading off of it. There were two alcoves with deactivated Protectaponies, and the roof was lined with ceiling turrets. And honestly, I had no doubt that some of these walls could retract to admit more Sentry Bots.
A chokepoint. I was very glad all of it was turned off.
The doors to the left and right looked like they led into the offices of the ponies whose names were etched onto a plaque next to them. Nopony I recognised, just the people who ran this place two hundred years ago, I guess.
The door directly ahead, however.
‘Twilight Sparkle: Ministry Mare’.
I was here.
I cautiously approached the door, more than a little worried as to what other security measures Twilight might have included back in the day. But, to my surprise, it just opened up as normally as any other door.
The office inside was… modest, to say the least. There were no windows or any particularly homely decoration beyond the several bookshelves lining the walls. The floor was covered in a green carpet, and the office had woken walls compared to the bland metals of the rest of the building. It almost felt like a school teacher’s office more than that of one of the most powerful ponies in a pre-war Equestria.
I wonder if all her offices in the hubs were like this. Or maybe they differed from location to location…?
I walked around the wooden desk at the end, examining everything on its surface. There was a terminal that was sitting idly on the desk. There was a lamp, a pair of dusty reading glasses and an ancient picture frame with the image of Twilight and her friends. They looked… young.
I sat down on the chair, turning my attention to the terminal. Which… was on a log-in screen. Dammit, why wasn’t Cobalt here to hack into it?
Maybe there was a password around here somewhere?
I opened up one of the drawers at random, being met with a whole load of files. I gave them all a quick glance over, just looking at the titles.
‘OIA Vanhoover ministry hubs monthly report: October’.
‘Supply request: Maripony’.
‘Classified: Goldenblood Activity’.
‘Security note from Security Chief Hoofcuffs.’.
Huh, maybe that last one has something…?
Ministry Mare Twilight,
Respectfully, ma’am, after all the effort we’ve gone through to make sure this hub is secure from zebra infiltrators, why is ‘books’ your terminal password? And yes, I know it. I had one of our guys try to break in as a test, and he got it on the first try. You’re surrounded by books, it’s not even remotely subtle!
Please, change your password. Make it the date you first kissed a stallion or something. Or a mare. Whatever. Just please make it secure.
Respectfully,
Security Chief Hoofcuffs.
Result! Assuming she hadn’t changed it. But let’s try it!
I closed up the drawer, returning my attention to the terminal and trying my hoof at entering the password. And then, to my equal relief and small amusement, it dinged to indicate a successful login.
For all the secret projects and authority, Twilight had been such a dork.
Looking at the menu, I could see several options that seemed to be mostly meeting schedules and research notes. Nothing I particularly needed, but there was an option at the very bottom that read ‘Site B’.
I clicked on it, and three more options came up.
The first one was exactly what we needed, and just what Watcher promised that we would find!
I made sure to plug in my PipBuck and copy the access code file over. It just seemed to be a randomly generated string of letter and numbers, night and day to how crappy Twilight’s own personal password had been. Still, the file was safely stored onto my PipBuck and ready for use!
And just like that, there was a ding as that objective was marked as complete. A new one was automatically added to replace it.
‘Access Site B’.
Glad to see it was still keeping track of it all.
Still, my attention was then caught by the remaining two options. First off, there looked like there was an audio recording on the terminal. Curiosity striking me, I clicked on the log and let it play.
“So, I just got back from Site B,” I heard Twilight Sparkle say. “It’s a disaster. Another one. That’s all we seem to get now, isn’t it? One screw up after the next. It’s like… a loop I can’t escape from. But in order to end this war and save everypony, I need the alicorn potion. And now, to make the alicorn potion, I may also be required to make one that will turn changelings into Changeling Queens.”
I heard her depressed sigh, the mare silent for several moments before continuing.
“I can’t trust Chrysalis. More than I trust somepony like Goldenblood, sadly enough, but not by much. Who knows what Chrysalis will do when she has that power? Will I just be ending one war in order to kick off the next? I don’t know. All of us, everything we do, we only seem to make things worse. Where did we go so wrong? How did it all come to this?”
Another sigh, and a small thump that suggested that she’d either hit her desk or slammed her face into it.
“I miss Spike. He’d always have some words of advice in a time like this. But he’s sleeping, and probably wouldn’t want to see me anyway. Not after the argument we had the last time we saw each other. Celestia, I’m such an idiot. That dragon has been here since before all of this, and now I’ve driven him away. I hope he knows I still love him. Maybe I can tell him that when he next wakes up, I just hope the war will be over by then. Oh, I don’t even know why I’m recording this. I guess… I only have machines to talk to about my problems now.”
I bit my lip, listening as the Ministry Mare choked back a sob. Her breathing became heavy, and she was clearly doing her best not to break down crying.
“Damn it.”
And then the log ended.
Dear Luna… She had been heavily depressed by the end of the war, that was for sure. I wasn’t certain who this ‘Spike’ was. And he was a dragon? I’m not sure. But whoever he was, I doubt she ever saw him again. Given all that I know, Twilight probably returned to Splendid Valley not long after this recording. She obviously completed the alicorn potion, sort of, and then the world ended.
Just another ghost of the old world.
I moved onto the third option, removing the log from my mind for the moment. It was entitled ‘Venomous’.
This is a prototype magical energy rifle modified from a standard issue Shadowbolt rifle. Now, their rifles shoot bolts of highly concentrated magic rather than the long beams of destruction magic most energy weapons do. The bolt is generally far less accurate, but far deadlier. I have my… reservations about Diamond Flash and Flash Industries as a whole, but they know how to make their weapons.
Still, as much as I don’t like the necessity of these weapons, I have an idea for a new variation.
Our studies at ‘Site B’ on changeling magic for our new StealthBuck model have been insightful. But the exact properties of their magic are particularly fascinating! Their magical bolts actually display an almost corrosive property. Ordinarily, it’s a small difference, just a minor increase in the burn produced by a directed bolt of mana. But amplified, changeling magic almost burns like some of the most severe forms of acid.
As such, I’ve tinkered with a Shadowbolt rifle provided to me by Rainbow Dash and replaced the spell matrix with changeling magic rather than that of a pony. From there, I’ve cranked up the capacitors and made some other modifications in order to bring out the spell’s most acidic properties. The resulting weapon, dubbed as ‘Venomous’ by the others at Site B, deals around the same amount of damage to a target as the standard rifle, but the corrosive effect is enough to melt through power armour.
This could be useful on the front lines against enemy armour and zebra robots. However, there is a danger that, should one be captured, that the weapon could be reverse engineered by the zebras and turned against our Steel Rangers. Applejack would have my head if she found out.
I think I had better sit on this one prototype for a while. I have this new alicorn potion idea I wish to pursue anyway. Let’s just see where it goes.
There was one more option revealed beneath the text.
‘Open safe’.
Clicking it, there was a whirring from behind me as a wall panel parted. A second panel emerged, a small rack appearing on which a pristine rifle sat. The weapon looked rather steampunk, the body being a mix of dull grey metal and painted yellow, several wires jutting out from the side along with little vials with green magic floating around inside. The very front of the weapon was a clear reinforced glass casing with more of that green magic focused within.
I carefully took Venomous off of the rack, along with the energy cells that were also secured to it.
The weapon was a far cry in design to the box-like laser weaponry I’d seen around. This was far more like the two guns I’d seen strapped to Kronos’ side, only with green magic rather than red. And if this was the kind of gun used by the Shadowbolts before the war, I was willing to bet the pegasi up above favoured this kind of design.
Still, none of them had one like this. Strong enough to melt through power armour? Changeling magic?
After everything that had happened, with what I was trying to do, taking it almost seemed oddly poetic.
With the new rifle slung across my back, for which I was feeling a bit more confident with than just my little pistol, I turned from the office and exited out the door. I still had to find my friends, and then we could finally leave this city behind.
Footnote: Max Level