//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: The Runners // by DungeonMiner //------------------------------// Pain. Fluttershy writhed on the table as long, thick needles pierced her skin, filling her with fluids that burned through her whole body. Tears ran down her face as the ponies around her worked quickly and callously. They didn’t say a word to her, they merely hovered around her, looking on with clinical interest as they marked their clipboards. Over all her years of being strapped to this table, she had only ever seen one of ponies around her shed a tear for her. She never saw her again. The young filly screamed again as pain wracked her body, and her muscles spasmed beyond her control. She knew they wanted something, she just didn’t know what. She cried and whimpered, begging for the pain to stop, to just kill her and be done with it, to end her like they did her brother. She cried, and howled as pain shot through her body, lighting every nerve along her spine, wings, and hooves on fire. Just kill me, you cowards, kill me and take what you want already. Kill me like you killed Zephyr. They said something, but Fluttershy didn’t hear it over her own cries and the pain that throbbed in her ears, all she knew is that the pain lessened for a moment. Just a moment, before she knew it would begin again. She sobbed and whimpered as the ponies around her left, and the lights went out as sleep threatened to take her. She brought her will to bear, tried to force herself to stay awake. She bit on her lip until she drew blood, but the exhaustion took her, and darkness followed. When she opened her eyes next, the room as dark and abandoned, the needles that tore through her skin were silent, empty, and still. She whimpered again before she grit her teeth, and lifted her head. She slammed it against the table with all her might. She lifted it, and slammed her head again, and again, and again. She tried again, driving her head into the steel beneath her until her vision went white. She tried to cave her own skull in until she exhausted herself, and went still. She dropped back to the table, laying still, and stared into the blinding white void until the ceiling faded back into view. Slowly, her eyes focused, even as she cursed the fact that she didn’t have the strength to end her own life until her eyes fell on a tiny spider that was slowly dropping from above, gliding on a single thread of web. Her voice croaked as she spoke to it. “Hello, Angel,” she said, greeting the tiny spider by the name she gave it so long ago. The spider flailed a leg as it got caught in the updraft of her breath. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just don’t know how much longer I can last with this.” Angel didn’t offer an answer. Then a long, chitinous leg reached down from the shadows above her. “And so one must wonder why the hunter sits in the trap?” a voice said as seven more legs pulled the body of a massive spider through the shadows, and into the room above her. Eight pony eyes stared at her from the head of the spider, and large, dog-like lips sat over his fangs. Fluttershy didn’t even blink. “What more can I do? I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember.” “And that’s the excuse you offer?” the spider asked. “I sit because I must? I let my food eat me because it’s what I know?” “What else can I do? They killed my brother a long time ago for trying, and now they’re too afraid to kill me. I don’t have anything else.” The spider gave a contemptuous snort. “Such a waste. You can do so much better, yet here you are, caught in a web of beasts far lower than you.” “Just kill me and end it, please,” she whispered. “I’m just too tired.” The spider shook his head. “No, I have a much greater plan for you.” A cluster of spiders began to descend from the shadows, dropping on their silken threads, and landing on her body. “This, dear Fluttershy, is the beginning of a new relationship.” <><><|><><> Fluttershy, or Miss Web as she was more frequently called, sat at her shrine, taking a moment to breathe as she meditated on the world around her. The astral plane was a thought away, and if she wanted to, she could let slip her bonds to the mortal coil and drift away among the stars. She wasn’t going to, though, not yet. When Papa Spider found her, he taught her one very important lesson. Be the one that sets the trap, build your home, and know its every inch. The day you are caught unawares is the day everything you built comes crashing in on you, so, simply put, don’t fall into a trap. Was a trap set for her when she entered the astral? Unlikely, but any Runner would tell you it’s better to be safe than sorry, and being safe is what she lived by. Taking another, steadying breath, she used her mind’s eye to check the astral plane around her. The dead grey of lifeless concrete, and fake wood echoed around her for miles, only the blurred, downtrodden and desperate signature of life on the physical plane shone through, appearing like fireflies across the grey landscape around her. Twilight was nearby, shining like a beacon, and Gem was behind her, shining as well, if more muted than the mage. Fluttershy always had thought it odd that Gem would waste her own magical talent in the pursuit of Matrix work, but considering how important a decker was, Web certainly wasn’t going to complain. With no elementals in sight, and no other signs of danger nearby, Fluttershy finally let herself relax, and drift away from her own body. Once free from her mortal shackles, she flew on powerful, spectral wings. Before she knew it, she was walking along the old familiar paths that took her down to the dark corner of astral space that she called her second home. The silvery, gossamer threads of Papa Spider’s Web met her within moments, and she happily began to float around them, moving closer and closer to the heart of his lair. She slowed as she approached the center of the web, before carefully strumming a strand to announce herself. Papa Spider approached, climbing along his web. “And there is my daughter, back from the mortal plane. What brings you to my parlor?” “I just wanted to relax a moment, Papa,” she replied, before she slipped onto the web, relaxing as Papa Spider’s silk enveloped her. “It has been a while,” Papa Spider agreed. “Still, I am surprised.” Fluttershy nodded. “I know,” she muttered. “I can’t be too mad, though, it’s what you called me for.” Papa nodded. “I’m just,” she began. “I’m not ready, not yet.” Papa gave her a look, but said nothing. Fluttershy waited, but when Papa Spider didn’t throw her out, she gladly found a corner of his great web to hang from, and relaxed against his long-reaching strands. She felt them tug beneath her, each one connected to another shaman, each using their connection to the mentor spirit to build a network of information that stretched across the material and astral plane. Papa Spider worked across his web, weaving strands upon strands into the artwork that was his home. He didn’t say a word as he worked, working carefully and meticulously as Fluttershy relaxed in the one place where she was safe. “Fluttershy,” Papa Spider said in a calm, fatherly voice. “Yes?” “You are being called upon, and you need to get ready.” “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. Papa Spider didn’t answer, but merely pointed with a long, leg. Fluttershy looked confused, but obeyed, flying back across the astral plane to her body. “Web, are you with us?” Gem said in her ear. “Equestria to Web?” “I’m here, I’m here,” Fluttershy said, looking up from her hood. “We have a job.” “Oh, what kind?” “One of Spike’s. Against Ahuiztech.” And Fluttershy felt her heart freeze. “Ah…” she said. “I’ve sent it to your comm,” Gem said, motioning to her. “Look it up when you have the chance, we need to get to work.” Fluttershy nodded again before she slipped on her AR glasses. Instantly, she saw the dragon’s face in the corner of her vision and heard his voice through the speaker built into her eyewear began to rumble. “I have your second task. I know it’s early, but time is of the essence. Your next target is a gem, much like the first, a piece of rose quartz that will emit magical radiation much like the first. It is currently located in an Ahuiztechnology facility that will be sent in the attached file. Evidence from my own efforts of espionage shows that the gem rest in this particular facility’s basement, in a project labeled under ‘Operation Sapphire.’ All evidence suggests that collecting the gem will end Sapphire, and will, therefore, be heavily guarded. “As was with the last job, I will have a secondary team on standby, ready to move with you, and if you manage to make it through this job without contacting the team, you will be awarded a bonus...” Fluttershy stopped listening. She opened the file, and began scanning its contents. The building was marked as being out beyond the Sprawl, between Canterlot and Las Pegasus, along the northern reaches of the San Palmino desert. She knew that building. She would recognize it anywhere. She suddenly felt nauseous. Standing Fluttershy took off her glasses. “So, Web?” Gem asked, noticing that the shaman had stood. “I’ll be alright,” Fluttershy answer, before she calmly walked to the restroom. She stood there for a moment, and then vomited. <><><|><><> “Alright,” Fluttershy said as she took a moment to steady herself. “You’ll be alright, Fluttershy, just focus on the job. It’s just another job.” She repeated her mantra two more before she moved, hovering over the Ahuiztech building in the Astral plane. She slowly approached the building, disguising her astral signature to one of an unbound elemental, and hopped nothing grew suspicious as she neared the Ahuiztech building. The whole place stank of anger, fear, and pain, imprinted there by years of torture and terrible, terrible things. She knew some of the atrocities that happened in those lifeless, tainted walls, and she knew she wasn’t prepared for what she would see if she looked into that building. That’s why she wasn’t getting where anywhere near it. No, she was simply going to check over the building once or twice, and scout out the magical defenses of the building. Once she had that, she’d wait for Gem to get back to her with the building blueprints, and then she made a proper plan. But the less time she spent out here, the better. She hovered around the building, moving as casual as possible as no less than six watcher spirits watched her move. She made her first pass, moving down past the building before she made her way out of sight, and changed her signature again. Moving back along a different path, heading in the opposite direction, she checked the other side, noting which watcher spirits kept their eyes on her. She made a third pass before the watchers became too suspicious, and she began to pull away, heading North, where, if the wailing from the echoes of the pained spirits that lived there were anything to go by, they buried the bodies. Pain, sadness, guilt, and self-loathing permeated the dump that apparently doubled as graveyard. A handful of ghouls, ponies infected with a disease that made them powerful, magical, cannibals, lingered and wandered across the refuse, looking for something to eat. Their eyes, which could only look into the astral plane, saw her as she flew over, and one of the ghouls shook his head before he went back to his search. Fluttershy floated by, safe and far out of their reach when she felt a presence reach out from the landfill below her. She hesitated a moment, before she hazarded a glance. “Fluttershy?” a voice called, and a figure formed from the world around her. Professionally, she knew that it an echo, a spiritual imprint left by the souls of the departed. Professionally, she knew this wasn’t a pony, this was leftover energy. Professionally, she knew her brother was dead. But Celestia, did it twist the knife. “Hello, Zephyr,” Fluttershy answered. She knew it wasn’t actually her brother. Magic couldn’t bring the dead back to life, if they were gone they were gone. The echoes were little more than dogs, creatures that barely understood the world around them, unable to process any new situation beyond the one where the person they represented died. But that didn’t mean she had to be a jerk. “Are you okay?” the echo asked. “I’m fine, Zephyr.” “It hurts so much,” the echo moaned. “I know it does, Zephyr, it’s a terrible pain. It burns, and breaks, and doesn’t end. It’s terrible.” “I don’t know if I can take much more.” “I know, Zephyr, I know, but you won’t have to, not much longer.” “Are you sure you’re okay, Fluttershy? What if they come to get you?” “I’m fine, Zephyr, I’m safe, they can’t get me now.” That was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that. “Good, good,” the echo said, before he slowly turned, fading back into the background noise. The echo was gone, its short lifespan already swallowed up by the surrounding trauma to manifest as something else. She sighed, before continuing back, on her way to Rookie’s place. <><><|><><> She had a corkboard. She had debated once or twice on making it a string board, but then she thought it looked too much like she was trying to be a paranoid conspiracy theorist. So instead of the nice, if stereotypical, red yarn connecting and organizing all her points, she had to live with organizing it all mentally instead. In the middle she had the building, and to the right of it, she had methods of getting in. Working from the top-down, they could approach from the roof. This allowed them the most direct access to the building, however, this meant they’d have to work to get through the whole building in order to get to the basement. The idea of meeting halfway, starting at the roof and rappelling down had its own merit, but it was still fighting through levels of the building that were unnecessary. The idea of accessing the roof, and then rappelling down the elevator shaft occurred to her, although this offered problems if they had any defense built into the elevator shaft. Still, this was the best option if approaching from the top. Approaching from the ground floor meant they’d be facing their bog-standard security guards, after which they’d have to either fight for access for the elevators, fight for access stairs, or fight for access to the Matrix security. All of those sounded awful. Finally, she toyed with the idea of drilling from below, but that would require either many earth elementals, or millions of nubits in equipment. So far, the elevator plan was the best idea. That said more for their chances of success than she cared to admit. To the left of the building was possible costs. Miniwelders for 250 nubits, and fuel for another 80 each, would allow them to get through a few small walls, doors, and glass if need be, but it would do nothing for the hundreds of cubic feet of concrete and dirt they’d need to go through. A monofilament chainsaw would help with the concrete at least, but that cost a cool 500, and considering that grapple guns and winches cost only 50 nubits each. The only real cost would be microwire, which would come out 200 nubits for 400 meters of rope. However, without knowing how deep the basement went, another 200 meters wouldn’t be out of the question. And of course, if you get the microwire, you need the gloves, and six pairs of those would be another 300, bringing the price of rappelling down to being 2,400 nubits. And then on the other hoof, if they did decide to dig through, using elementals to dig them a path, there was no guarantee that it would be quiet. Anyone of those watcher spirits would notice the earth elementals digging, sound the alarm and bring the whole building down on them. She knew that Gem had invested in a maglock passkey and a keycard copier after the first run, so they wouldn’t have to worry about any maglocks or keycards, but in exchange they would have to look out for any Matrix spiders noticing duplicate cards. Still, those alone would make getting through the basement much easier, at that point they’d only have to worry about bodies getting in their way. Below, she had the major problems. Getting in below, of course, the time, effort, and chance of getting caught, whereas coming from above would cost 2.4k in nubits, and they’d still need a way to get to the top of the building. At the top of the board, she had their basic strategy once they were in the building. Assuming that the blueprints of the first level of the basement mirrored the floor plan for the lower levels, then they would just have to work with the relatively easy task of locating the gem, before making their way back out, ideally, back up through the elevators to the ground floor, and rushing out back into the street. The problem was locating the gem. While the instrument that read their signature would be useful, it could only give them general directions, and they would need some way of being more accurate, if for no other reason than to avoid taking the wrong turns. With that in mind her general strategy was to have both her and Rookie sense their way through the floor, each watching the other’s back in the astral, after making a secure location for the rest of the team to hold while they wait. This would also give Gem some time to break the Matrix defenses, and that had a whole slew of benefits. Hopefully, Rookie can shape the wall spells in order to best make defensible positions. Once the two of them locate the gem, they break out, hopefully using enough explosives to clear the hallway, and turn any gun drones onto the security teams. That was the plan, anyway, but plans hardly survive first contact with the enemy. She turned, before pulling up the AR reports that she had bookmarked in her browser. It seemed Spike’s timing was impeccable yet again. Apparently there was a board meeting happening, and hundreds of higher-ups across the company were all meeting at their headquarters, and many were taking their elite security teams with them. It was perhaps, the only real good news they had, and the only reason why this had any chance of working. Sighing, she took a picture of her plan, before sending it Gem, along with a quick text that read “What do you think?” A few minutes later, a reply came back. “How do we get to the roof?” “We might need to use that as our favor from the Harmony Inc. team.” A moment passed before she texted back. “Sorry, just got out of the Matrix, heading for the shower. Do you want to use the favor for an airdrop?” “No, but do we have much choice? We can’t really swing in, like Daring Do.” “Did you really just mention Daring Do in a legitimate Runner conversation?” “Not the point, Gem.” “Alright, alright, just remember not to bring her up around Wingmare, you know she thinks that mare is real.” Fluttershy rolled her eyes. Yes, Daring Do was probably made up, but she is supposedly a legendary Runner, and it made her point nicely. “Look, are we going to call in the favor or not? All we miss out on is a bonus.” A sighing, animated emoji appeared across her vision. “Fine,” Gem responded, “we’ll call in the favor. I’m not happy about it, though.” “It’ll pay off,” Fluttershy responded. “I promise it will.” “If you say so, I believe it,” Gem replied. “I'll let Rookie know that we'll need an airdrop, you have a way out?” “Candy's van through the front door, or some variation thereof.” “Tried and true,” the decker replied. “Don't forget to go eat.” As if suddenly reminded that her stomach did, in fact, exist, it growled loudly, echoing in her tiny, one-room apartment. Sighing, she turned to the section of her apartment that would generously be described as a kitchenette and ate the now-cold ramen noodles that she had cooked an hour ago. She took two bites before deciding that they were far more edible warm and stuck them back into her mini-microwave. She took two steps to her cot, and laid down, staring up at her ceiling before clicking on her AR glasses and opening her favorite anime streaming service.  She needed something light and fun to watch, maybe that new show Goblin Killer would be fun.