Tight reins squeezed Shetland’s hips as she tried to enter the tank’s storage. Her armor was in pieces on the ground: she’d been forced to throw it in. With drops of sweat forming on her forehead, she glared at Crust, reaching out a hoof. Finally, with his help, she felt the metal’s hold on her sides give way, and she slipped inside, nearly stumbling over him. The tight walls enclosed them both, made worse by the cluttered boxes of supplies on either side. She could barely move, both shoulders a mere inch from the surrounding stuff.
“Holy Celestia…” Crust whispered. He stared at the ceiling, as if he could somehow see the sun through it.
“What is it?” Shetland groaned, shifting around to even slightly lean against the boxes. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the hatch being closed, and a moment later the humming of the air pumps.
“I just-” he swallowed, his eyes darting anywhere but to her face. “I-I didn’t expect our departure to be so- so volatile!”
“Trust me, I would’ve preferred to get out nice and quiet, too.” she said, hissing as the ground began to rumble, agitating the sores she’d already developed while clinging to the tank’s roof.
“I guess I just didn’t really think about- we just went AWOL!” His voice pitched at the last word. Shetland stopped fidgeting, instead meeting his eyes with her own.
“You knew that before we started.” she said sternly.
“I-I thought I did.” He took a shaky breath. “I’ll get fired, won’t I?”
“Probably.” There was no point in dancing around it. “Though, if we win and you become a hero, it’ll probably an honorable discharge. Might even get a nifty medal.” The corners of her mouth twitched as she watched his simultaneously-excited and defeated grimace.
“As exciting as that sounds,” he said drily. “That’s only gonna happen if we make it at all.” He shook his head. “So… what’s your plan?”
She held up a hoof. “One moment, what about the others?”
“Magenta!” Crust called out, his voice at a carefully controlled volume as even his light shout echoed between the metal walls.
“I can hear you.” Magenta’s voice was muffled, but loud enough to be heard above the rumbling. “You have to speak up though, this tank is not designed for me to speak with passengers. Or have passengers at all.”
Shetland clenched her teeth as a road-bump caused her chin to smack into a box. “Did anyone try to contact us?”
“N-no, surprisingly. I would have thought they’d be hailing us with orders to come back, but all I’ve got is a warning about a medium-sized storm in about an hour.”
“Well, that’s something.” Shetland muttered. “I bet mom’s behind this. Any call for us to return would’ve just ratted us out to the bots.” With an annoyed grunt, she swiped the sweat off her face, cursing the oppressively warm air that tasted staler with every breath.
“Ehem?” Magenta’s disbelieving voice cut through the metal wall. “D-Did you hear the part about the storm?”
“Storm protect us.” Unlike the others, Gan’s voice was calm and controlled. “It cuts vision. We use storm to hide ourselves as we attack enemy.”
“Not quite.” Shetland sighed. “I don’t want to attack during the storm if we don’t have to.”
“And where you plan attack?”
“I have ideas.” She swiped a hoof across her sweating forehead, following Gan’s collected voice like a lifeline to clear thought. “The whole thing’s close to a cliffside.”
“I hope you’re not suggesting we climb up there, Shetland.” Crust said drily. “If they so much as look down, we might as well just wrap ourselves up as neat little presents with a ‘please shoot us’ sticker.”
“Not planning to.” Shetland took a breath of the sweltering air. “But I’ve been thinking about the caves. When I ran into that sandstorm to save Toasty, I hid with her in one of those, and further in, there was an underground river. Now…” she swallowed. “It’s just a hunch, but this is a pretty dry planet. I know the power station’s got no river beside it, so I suspect,” she stressed the word, carefully watching Crust’s expression. “I suspect that it’s their water supply. If it is, that’s our access.”
There was silence, as Crust gawked at her. Then, to her surprise, it was Gan who burst out laughing.
<You’re smarter than I thought, Sparkle!> he exclaimed, briefly falling into his throaty language. <That’s the way Khunbish was investigating before I left.>
“And would it work?” Shetland asked hurriedly, an ember setting off in her chest. She’d thought it just some wild idea, but now that it may work-
“Water too strong for us.” Gan’s answer came, deflating her excitement a little bit. “Me and Khunbish too light. Current push us away.”
Furrowing her brows, Shetland picked up her helmet. “I’m not light.” She stated with a steely look. “I won’t be swept away.”
“Is-” Crust’s voice cracked. He stared from Shetland to the wall he was leaning against. “I’m sorry, This idea- w-we’re gonna do that?” His voice was equally filled with fright and awe at the prospect of such a risky move.
Shetland nodded. “That’s our way in. Everything else we’ll have to figure out when we’re there.”
----
It was only when they came to a halt that the howling wind reached Shetland’s ears. “Magenta?” she called out, groaning as she slowly rose from her uncomfortable position.
“I-I think we’re there.” A high-pitched voice answered. “I’m unlocking the exit for you.”
Shetland shot the dazed Crust a quick look before putting on her airmask, just as the hatch opened and Magenta’s hoof reached inside. With her and Crust’s help, Shetland slid outside, to be instantly assaulted as sand grain peppered against her hide. “My helmet!” she shouted to Crust, forced to shield her eyes with a hoof.
“Second.” he called, before climbing outside, carrying most of the pieces of Shetland’s armor.
“We at broken ship.” Gan shouted over the storm, then his paw pointed at a massive dark shape, nearly concealed by the flying sand. “There cliff. I know where cave.”
“Unload the stuff first. Leave some air and medicine.” Shetland ordered, reaching inside the tank’s storage to pull out the remaining pieces of her armor.
It was a gruelling task, and Crust had loaded enough stuff for everyone to have to go back twice. They would probably only use half this stuff, Shetland realized, but she forced herself not to reprimand him for it. She just hoped he’d packed the right things.
“Does anyone know how long this storm will last?” Shetland whispered as sand plastered against the cave walls.
“Not long.” Magenta’s voice sounded weak. Her chest was heaving from the exertion of carrying heavy equipment through the storm. “S-shetland, can I speak with you, alone?”
Shetland nodded as she rose to her hooves and followed Magenta deeper into the cave. She’d been expecting this, had been thinking how to address this. Magenta gnawed on her lip, nervously glancing backwards. And she shook, as if a strong fever had taken over her body. “S-shet-”
“You’re scared.” Shetland whispered, leaning down so she could meet her friend eye-to-eye.
Magenta nodded. “Shetland, I-I know I can’t ask you to turn back now, b-but I’m not a fighter! You and Crust, you have armor, you’re trained, I-I had one lesson with the militia. I can barely hit something that’s not moving, I can’t be in a firefight!” She jerked away, hiding her face behind a wing, as if she expected Shetland to slap her, or scream. “Can I not just stay here?” she whispered, her voice giving out at the last word as hot tears pooled in her eyes.
Finally, Shetland reached out, awkwardly patting her hoof on Magenta’s shoulder. “I’m scared too, Magenta. We all are.”
“But you’re- you can fight! I-I’m just, just-” she swallowed, fishing for a word that was strong enough. “I’m dead meat up there!”
“You’re not a soldier.” Shetland confirmed. “And Magenta, I don’t expect you to be one. But the fact is, this is very dangerous, and I want a way out if it goes south. That’s why I need you.” Her eyes met Magenta’s. “If someone gets wounded, you’ll fly him to the tank, there’s medical supplies there, and you can then drive around the station and try to pick up the rest of us.”
“But what about-” Magenta whispered, her eyes darting over Shetland.
“I’m tough." Shetland whispered. It was all she could say. Then she shook her head. “Magenta, when we’re in there, I want you to keep your head down. Don’t try to fight unless you have to, focus on staying safe. Can you do that?” She took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t blame you if you decide to stay here and wait.” Her gaze hardened. “But I think you would.”
Magenta took a step back, her eyes widened. “A-all I gotta do is stay safe?”
“Don’t think it’s going to be easy. It’ll still be really dangerous.” Shetland said. “But I think- I think you can do it.”
“Then I can.” Magenta took a deep breath as she suppressed her shivers. “My sister died to help you save me, Shetland. T-the best I can do is protect you to do the same for Toasty.”
“Except you will make it.” Shetland said, channeling every bit of determination into her voice. “We will all make it, Magenta, mark my words.”
Magenta nodded, rubbing a hoof over her eyes, even as they teared up again. But this time, it was hope that glistened in her eyes: hope and steely resolve.
As they got back, Shetland noticed that the storm had gotten quieter. “Everyone up.” she ordered. Gan now wore a light armor of bulletproof plates over his chest and shoulders, but no helmet would fit the shape of his head. To his wrist, he had bound his shocktalon, while a pistol was strapped to his side. “Help Magenta with her armor. We’ll have to go now, any minute they could spot the tank.”
Crust nodded, pulling out a set of armor just like Gan’s from a crate. As they went to work, Shetland and Gan made their way into the cave, until the path was suddenly cut off by the river, with a constant stream splashing downhill into the depths of the planet. Shetland took a ragged breath as she regarded the mass of water with newfound respect. If she wasn’t strong enough, or simply slipped, the current would carry her further and further down, from where she would never return. “I can see why you didn’t try this way with Khunbish.” she muttered.
<You might be able to do it.> he said, despite giving her a worried look as he held out a long rope. <If- When you arrive, we can span this rope. With a solid grip, we should be able to follow.>
“And we’ll reel it in for Magenta.” Shetland agreed, doubtful the pegasus was strong enough to resist the stream on her own. Of course, her brain added, that only counts if I make it through in the first place. “Gan, are you sure this will lead to the water collector?”
<Khunbish thought so. And she is very smart.>
Shetland snorted. “Well, we’re not smart, since we’re gonna do this!”
<This makes us dangerous.> he grinned, but it faltered as he also shot an estimating look at the river. <May I ask one favour of you?>
Shetland blinked. His voice had been stilted, reluctant even.
“That depends, we don’t have much time.”
<Remove your helmet.>
“What?” She shook her head. “I need it to breathe, Gan!”
<Only for a moment.>
She threw him a cautious look at the strange request, but if he was going to risk his life for her, then he deserved to be thrown a little bone. With a deep breath, she removed her helmet, looking down at him for his approval. The next thing she knew his breath was on her face as he jumped on his hind legs, then the scruff feeling of his lips pressing on hers. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t pull away from the sudden kiss. A moment later, it was over, as he fell down on his forelegs with a nervous cough. <I- I did not want to lose my chance.>
Shetland swallowed. “Is that… it?”
He nodded, his cheeks burning. <Yes, yes. That is all.> Gan whispered, wearing a strangely shy, toothy grin.
Shetland shook her head, trying to get rid of some of the heat in her own cheeks as she placed her helmet back on, just as Crust and Magenta arrived. The pegasus now wore a helmet much like Shetland, though her body was only covered with thin plates. Slung to her back was a short rifle. A fast-firing model with a large magazine and low recoil, Shetland noticed. Something easy to use. She gave the pair an approving nod. “Are you ready?”
Neither of them looked particularly convinced as they nodded.
“Well…” Shetland began, biting her lip under her helmet. “Once we’re in there, anything could happen. Me and Crust have heavy armor, we’ll try to be at the front while Gan and Magenta stay behind us, but I can’t guarantee anything. Do not get separated. If it does happen, abandon the mission and run, try to reach the tank on your own. Oh, and Magenta, try to look out for any security cameras and destroy them, the more intel we deny them the better.” She took a heavy breath as she gave each of them a thorough look. “I’m going ahead now. If I make it, use the rope to follow me.” A large lump appeared in her throat. “If I don’t, and you can’t pull me back, run.” She looked away, unwilling to see either of their reactions as she placed her weapons in a waterproof bag and secured it to her chest. Meanwhile, the others tied the rope to a large stalagmite.
With her final preparations done, Shetland slowly filled her lungs and took the first step. Immediately, she could feel a pull at her body, though not enough to sweep her off her hooves. Not yet. She rose her head at the first hurdle: a sudden rise in height, from which the river barreled down like a tiny waterfall. She took another step, straining against the neverending force, eerily reminded of the sandstorm, with howling wind replaced by splashing water. Her armor kept her safe, allowing her to breathe as she fought the brute strength of the elements. She grit her teeth as the thought gnawed at her concentration, nearly causing her to topple on the slippery ground. With an enraged shout, she pressed against the brunt of the water. I did this before, her brain madly shouted. Toasty is waiting. The thought lent new strength to her limbs as she slowly waded upwards, step after tiny step. She had done this before, she had fought a storm to get Toasty and this would be no different! She vividly remembered the robot’s broken form in the storm, half-buried by the sand as she laid flat on the ground, broken-
Shetland’s eyes widened. She stopped advancing, slowly sinking to her knees, her breath quickening as water closed in over her helmet, deafening any noise other than the rush of the current. But as her chest hit the riverbank, she was able to reach forward. Flat on the ground, she offered much less surface for the water to push against. “I’m coming Toasty,” she whispered into her helmet. “Crawling all the way if I have to!”
As soon as she had climbed the incline, the pressure lessened, allowing her to pick up her pace. Through the water, she could only get an occasional blurred view of the surface, forcing her to stand up to get a good look. In most places, the water reached up to her shoulders, but more than once she’d been forced to keep going until she could find a higher spot. Am I still going the right way? She thought desperately as she tugged at the rope tightly secured to her chest. What if it runs out before I reach the water collector, what if there isn’t one?
She grit her teeth, trying to focus. There was a dark shape in the water, reaching up to the surface- “YES!” Shetland exclaimed, doubling her efforts against the rushing waves. She’d found the collector, now there had to be some way for the ponies in the station to reach down for repairs-
She barely managed to raise her eyes over the water as she stood. Drops blurred her vision, but she couldn’t raise a leg to sweep them away, or she would be swept away. Still, in the circle of light her helmet gave off, she could make out a ladder, leaning at a forty-five degree angle, which would allow a pony to comfortably walk up, as well as several poles stabbing into the water as a hold for anypony that dropped.
Shetland’s hoof shot out. She now worked her way from pole to pole, towards the ladder. She grabbed the bottom rung with an exclamation of victory, pulling herself out of the treacherous waves. Finally able to catch her breath, she leaned back against the ladder. She’d made it. A chuckle burst from her lips, but the brief feeling of relief was quickly swallowed as reality came crashing back in. This was merely Phase One, after all. Next she’d have to wind up the rope, making it as straight and tense as she could, sending the signal to the others. There wasn’t much rope left to wind. As the rope was tied to the ladder, all she could do was lean back- and wait, nervously gnawing on her lips.
Crust arrived first. He had made his way walking upright, hindlegs braced against the ground as his forelegs clung to the rope. He pulled himself forward inch by inch. Tied to him, there was a large bag with their remaining weapons. “Out of waterproof stuff.” he gasped as he clung to a pole. “Only had one bag left.”
Gan followed soon after. All four legs holding tightly to the rope, he shuffled himself forward, much faster than Shetland would’ve thought possible in these circumstances. Now there was just one left.
“You instructed her on what to do again, right?” Shetland asked Crust.
“‘Hold on until we reel you in’, of course I did!” He shook his head. “Think she won’t follow us?”
“Possible.” Shetland muttered, her eyes narrowing. “More likely that she’s just stalling.” She tugged at the rope. It didn’t budge an inch.
“We can’t take stalling.” Crust exclaimed, then instantly lowered his voice. “What if they already discovered us?”
“We’re not dead yet.” Shetland pressed through her teeth. “I can’t think of a position more vulnerable than this, if they knew-” She stopped mid-sentence, she’d felt a shift in the rope. With sudden vigour, she pulled as quickly as she could, and after a moment, Crust reached to support her, allowing her to use both forehoooves to reel Magenta in like a giant fish.
The pegasus gasped as she burst out of the water, seemingly having forgotten that her mask would have allowed her to breathe just fine. “Thank Celestia!” she gasped as she opened her wings, shaking them before she took to the air. “A sensible ceiling!” She performed a quick mid-air pirouette, spraying her surroundings with all the water that had gotten stuck to her coat.
Shetland wiped her visor. “Take your weapon, Magenta.” She looked up at the hatch. “Follow me.” And with those words, she ascended the ladder.
-----------
They climbed into a small, empty room. Protective suits laid in folded piles on a bench, while toolboxes and cabinets lined the walls. Shetland stepped aside to let Gan follow her, careful to not make any more noise than necessary as she anxiously checked every corner for cameras. Magenta now helped Crust through the hole. Shetland felt a drop of sweat roll down her back as Gan placed his ear against the door. The entire robot army could be right outside; just because she didn’t find a camera didn’t mean there wasn’t one, maybe the robots had heard their arrival-
“Steps. Not many.” Gan whispered, his voice scarcely even making a noise. With a stern look, he raised his paw, the attached shocktalon emitting a faint buzz. Weapon drawn, Shetland gave one last look over her shoulder. Magenta was shaking, clutching her rifle in her hooves while Crust was hurriedly trying to change his gun’s magazine. As they both met her eyes, Shetland put her hoof on the door’s handle.
The door flew open as Shetland burst through, her eyes catching a brief glimpse of the metal hallway before fixating on two robots. They had no time to react as Shetland, carried by her momentum, smashed into one the sheer force send it sliding across the ground. The other quickly went down from a swipe of Gan’s shocktalon. Crust ran in right after, shooting a quick burst into the fallen robot’s chest. “That one’s not getting up anymore!”
Blaring sirens coupled with her heart’s rapid beating as Shetland hurriedly surveyed their surroundings. The hallway branched off in three directions: a long hallway, stairs leading to a higher floor and a large, open door only a few metres away. “This way!” she shouted as she stormed inside the room, catching a glimpse of robots scrambling to get behind workbenches and metal frames in between large machines. They scrambled for their weapons as Shetland’s rifle spat hot fury, tearing off the hoof of the first robot that rose to face her. She charged, ignoring the small arms fire that bounced off her armor. Crust followed into the room, flanked by Gan, putting down any robot daring to show it's face with deadly accuracy. Shetland pulled the last ones out of cover with her bare hooves, smashing their visors with the stock of her rifle. By the time Magenta entered, the fight was already over. Shetland stepped away from her victim, the robot rolling on the ground, holding it’s broken visor, and she had to squash a flash of pity. “Magenta,” she shouted as she looked around the room. “Kill the cams!”
The pegasus let out a startled squeak, fumbling with her rifle before pointing it at the small cameras. Shetland glanced over to the workbenches, littered with guns: some with strange attachments, others torn apart, but her eyes were quickly drawn to the metal frames. Held up by strings stood a large, two-legged figure, akin to the skeleton of a minotaur. Shetland swallowed, recognizing the figure, as if it had stepped right out of her board game into real life. But instead of the saws, one arm ended in a strange metal box, at the end of which was a large stake. “I would bet anything that this thing can punch through our armor.” she muttered. Activated, this thing would’ve been devastating in the tight hallways of the colony. With a grim look, she put three shots into it's artificial skull.
After the ringing in her ears had passed, she heard the sound of metal hooves pounding on the floor. “We can’t stay here!” she shouted, her mind racing. There was only one exit: if they went upstairs, the robots could block them off from the staircases and encircle. But either way, they’d have to move.
“Shetland,” Magenta shouted, her eyes fixated on a wall. “Come here!”
“Magenta-” Shetland exploded, but the pegasus cut her off.
“It’s a map!”
Shetland skid to a halt behind the pegasus, catching a brief glimpse of the power station’s layout. This room was apparently marked as water purification, but the robots must’ve had no use for that. There were two more buildings marked as living areas and the windmill center. “Fine,” Shetland said tensely. “But can you see where the A.I.s core is?”
“N-no-” Magenta admitted. “B-but we should move there-” She pointed at the second building.
“Memorize it!” Shetland shouted as she rushed to the door. She heard metallic thumping from outside, they weren’t alone anymore.
“We’ll be caught in a crossfire!” Crust shouted, his voice pitching.
“No, we won’t!” Shetland kicked against the door, which shuddered at the impact. A shot rang out from behind it, but glanced off its metal surface. “Magenta, I need a wrench, a big one!” She saw the pegasus shoot up, her eyes scurrying over the workbenches before she dove through the air, snatching one from a nearby desk. “Smash the hinges!”
The pegasus gave her an astonished look, but she responded instantly, slamming her weapon down on a hinge, bending it to the side. Another kick from Shetland broke it off. She then pushed at the door, and as Magenta hit the other hinge, it finally broke out of it's frame, nearly falling into the hallway before Shetland caught it. A small barrage of weapons’ fire harmlessly bounced off the makeshift shield.
“Follow right after me.” Shetland screamed, grunting as she heaved her shield sideways, nearly filling the corridor from wall to wall. The long side scraped over the ground as she shoved it forward. Shots hit her exposed shoulders. She sped up, heart beating rapidly. With a roar, she caught up with the first enemy. Its eyes widened as it turned to run. Too late, it was bashed away from the door. Shetland screamed over the screeching metal. Two more robots were swept up in her makeshift bulwark. The enemy dove away. The wall came closer at breakneck speed. At a full gallop, Shetland rammed the barrier into the wall, her shoulder slamming into it with all her build-up momentum. With a sickening crunch, the robots were crushed from the enormous force, metal crumpling like brittle wood.
Stumbling back dizzily, Shetland managed to glance over her shoulder, where Gan and Crust caught up, briefly halting in their gallop to disable the few robots that had jumped out of her way. A movement caught her attention as a metal hoof blindly tried to slap her over the edge of her shield. With an angry snarl, she pulled back, letting both robots slump to the ground before dropping the door on them. Then she jumped, a wild shout on her lips as her entire weight landed on it, crushing them below. The flailing leg now laid still, electric sparks shooting from underneath the large, metal stamp. Shetland gasped for air, tearing her eyes away from their broken bodies.
“They won’t just let us pass!” Crust shouted, despite being only a few metres away. “The whole place will be surrounded!”
“Then we’ll have to break through.” Shetland said through gritted teeth. She grabbed the saddlebags tied to his armor’s sides, hurriedly rummaging through them.
“Shetland, They could be coming right now-”
“You’ve got a gun!” she shouted as she produced two white and black orbs from his pocket, storing all but one in a compartment in her armor. The remaining white ball tightly grasped in her hoof, she ran through the hallway, ending in a glass wall with a door to the outside. But Shetland could already see the enemy get in position, spread far out in groups of two, eliminating any chance of taking them down in close quarters. “Stay together!” She shouted, turning the handwheel on the door.
“What are you doing! We can’t go outside, this is suicide!” Crust exclaimed.
“It’s the only way.” Shetland responded grimly as she took the white orb, throwing it through the open door. A moment later, she took after it, just as the smokebomb erupted in a large, blinding cloud. Without sight, all Shetland had to go on was the deafening staccato of her rushing blood and gunshots, blind fire tearing into the protective fog from all directions. Warning messages flared in her helmet as her magic shields reached a critical low. Putting even more power in her rapidly-stomping hooves, she burst out of the cloud, facing a pair of robots standing beside the living area’s emergency exits. Both held rifles, which they hurriedly pointed at her. But at this point, there was no more stopping. Just that moment, she caught Magenta flying overhead, her wings beating faster than ever before, her hooves clutching around Gan’s chest. The smaller hyena screamed something that was lost in the noise. Magenta dove towards the enemy pair, then suddenly pulled back as Gan launched himself from her grip. He dropped, striking one with his shocktalon before breaking his fall with a roll. The other robot whirled around, a crucial mistake as Shetland rammed her shoulder into it, throwing it aside before she caught herself on the glass wall.
Gan was already back on his paws, but the remaining robots now let up from Crust to focus on them. They sprinted to the door Magenta held open, Shetland trying her best to shield Gan from the incoming fire. A flaring message informed her of her shield’s collapsing. Clenching her teeth, Shetland strained her legs to leap inside the building, shortly followed by the madly sprinting Crust.
Shetland threw the door shut, then slammed her front hooves against the handwheels, hoping to jam the mechanism. “KEEP GOING!” she screamed at the others. “If they catch up to us, we’re dead!”
The remains of a camera fell to the ground, followed by Magenta, holding a large wrench in her mouth. “Wait, Shetland, maybe we can blind them. T-the control room, we can take out all the cameras at once!”
“How-” Shetland shook her head, there was no time. “Where?”
“Next to the kitchens, I-I can show you-”
“No!” Shetland decided. “You stay behind us, tell me the way.”
Magenta nodded, pointing at a hallway. “Y-yes, straight this way!”
The hallways seemed empty, the only robot in sight scurrying away into a side room. “Ignore it!” Shetland shouted. ”No time!” Her heart was racing as she imagined the sound of hundreds of hooves behind them, on the chase. She grabbed her weapon tighter, just as Magenta shouted:
“Now, around the left corner and-”
Shetland nodded, raising her rifle as she and Crust ran around the corner. They were instantly met with a volley of small arms fire slamming into their armor. Shetland screamed as a bullet managed to dig an inch into her shoulder, but she charged ahead regardless, rage clouding her vision as she ignored the pistol shots bouncing off her helmet-
“SHETLAND!” Crust screamed after her, but too late, as Shetland stared down a large barrel, her eyes widening before-
Her ears were filled with a deafening noise, something metallic ripping apart. Her head snapped to the side, as if punched by a minotaur, feeling like her neck was about to break. The impact on the ground smacked the air out of her lungs. Her ears barely picked up Crust’s scream or the inferno of blazing gunfire that followed. She blinked, her eyesight flickering as she tried to focus, her hoof tapping on the ground in the hopes of finding her rifle. A robot rose out of cover, its hooves clutching an anti-armor rifle. Shetland saw it as if in slow-motion, the barrel slowly moving to her fallen position. With sudden defiance, she stopped trying to find her rifle, instead drawing her heavy pistol, not moving her eyes from the robot that now had the muzzle pointed right at her head. Its robotic eyes flashed, widening a moment before Shetland’s shot splintered its visor, the bullet tearing a sparking hole all the way through its head.
Shetland gasped for breath, seeing no other robot standing. Convulsing, she felt an irresistible force push into her throat. Her jaw unclenched as she gagged, while several hooves grabbed her, pulling her into the room they’d conquered. She promptly removed her helmet before emptying her stomach onto the floor.
She drew a sharp breath, waiting for the nausea to subside. The right side of her face was agony, stinging like burning needles in an infected wound. To her side, Crust screamed in rage as he used Magenta’s wrench to turn the many screens of the observation terminal into scrap metal.
“A-are you okay?” Magenta asked, her worried gaze shared by the hyena at her side
“I-I’m fine.” Shetland muttered, straining herself to stand up, screaming as the simple act of grimacing seemed to tear her flesh apart. She raised a hoof, ignoring Magenta’s protest as she touched her cheek, sucking in air through her teeth.
Her hoof was covered in blood. She stared at it in confusion. “I-I was wearing a helmet-”
Magenta bit her lip as she picked it up from a puddle of bile, showing it to Shetland, whose eyes widened. The left side of the helmet was torn off, as if ripped away like a strip of flesh. Frayed shards of metal stuck out of the hole, covered in thick red drops and small shreds of flesh.
“Y-you were really lucky.” Magenta whispered. “F-for a moment I thought you were…” She took a sharp breath. “But it only glanced your cheek from the look of it.” Her features twisted into a shaky grin. “T-That’ll make one ugly, awesome scar.”
“Like I don’t got enough of those already.” Shetland moaned, stepping in place as feeling returned to her limbs. She looked over to Crust, who reloaded his rifle after emptying a magazine into the smoldering remains of what was once an advanced computer system. “The enemy is outside that door, waiting for us, right?”
Even through his visor, she could see the glare he gave her. “Yeah, they are,” he muttered, lowering his head as he stomped a hoof down on a piece of circuitry, a flash of rage crossing his face. “Every damn robot in the colony is out there, Shetland!”
“We’re not gonna die!” Shetland asserted as she retrieved the second white orb. “We’re all going to make it out of this.”
“This is insane.” Crust shook his head in disbelief.
“The whole operation was insane.” Shetland agreed, placing her hoof on the door handle, throwing a final look back as she pressed down, holding her body against the wall as the door slowly swung open. She didn’t dare look, but she clearly heard the sound of whole armaments’ worth of weapons being adjusted in robotic hooves. They were ready for the instant she’d show her face. The thought was enough to make her shudder as she pulled the pin with shaky, sweaty hooves.
“GRENADE!” she screamed with all the force her lungs offered, tossing the white ball into the hallway.
The reaction was instant: metal clattered against metal as the smoke-bomb landed, filling the corridor with its obstructing cloud. Shetland repelled herself from the doorway, past the obscured shapes of the robots getting back on their hooves after her bluff. She briefly looked over her shoulder, but the cloud also prevented her from seeing the others. Face contorting into a frustrated snarl, she kicked out at the nearest dark shape, hearing the loud clanging sound as her armored hoof connected with metal. No one dared fire their guns out of fear of accidentally hitting their allies. Now we’re fighting my way, she thought as she swiped at the recovering robots, clearing a path the others could follow. But already, she was beginning to see clearer as the smoke spread out thinner and thinner. The closest robot took up its gun, but Shetland swiped it out of its hooves before delivering a swift buck to its chest.
“Shetland!” Magenta’s voice shouted from up ahead. She’d been able to fly above the crowd. Nodding, Shetland threw a quick look back, seeing Crust emerge, quickly followed by Gan, but the cloud had now dissipated to the point that the robots could now effectively bring their guns to bear. With a scream of panic and rage, Shetland reached for her pistol as a pained shout rang out.
Gan stumbled, nearly faceplanting into the floor, blood surging out of his side. Shetland’s eyes widened in panic. Her hooves moved on their own, rushing to his side. Magenta screamed in fury, aimlessly shooting her rifle as fast as she could into the general direction of the bots while Crust laid down concentrated fire. Shetland dashed around Gan, blocking several shots with her armored bulk.
<Y-You’ll kill us both> Gan shouted, his eyes widening. <Leave me!>
“I’M NOT LOSING YOU!” Shetland roared as she wrapped her hoof around his midsection. She ran like she’d never run before, all concerns about her lungs and her side stitches completely forgotten, her mad gaze only fixated on Magenta. The pegasus pulled back, flying up the staircase to the second floor, just as Shetland rushed past Crust, up the stairs, the sound of a hundred metal hooves chasing.
Gan groaned, a steady trickle of blood leaving his body. He needs a bandage, Shetland thought in panic, but how? She rushed past door after door, if only they had a moment of time! She turned a corner and suddenly, at the end of the hallway, she looked out through the glass wall to the outside planes and the windmill station. There were chairs, tables and a TV-screen, a place to hang out. An opportunity. Shetland dove towards it, flipping a table on its side to create a makeshift barricade. “Magenta, bandage Gan, he’s gonna make it out of here.”
“Shetland,” Crust protested. “How are we gonna get out of this?”
“We’re. All. Making it out.” Shetland pressed through her teeth as she threw chairs in front of her cover. “How bad is it!?” she shouted to the pegasus.
“I-I’m not a doctor!” Magenta screamed hysterically as she covered the bleeding hole. “I-I don’t think they hit an artery, he might make it.”
Shetland shot a quick burst as the first robot rounded the corner. Falling back into cover, she gave the bandaged Gan a quick look, just as a bullet hit the floor only an inch away from his face. Snarling, she removed her helmet. “Put that on him!” She ordered Magenta. “You’ll have to get him out of here!”
“HOW?” Crust ducked back into cover as a round flew past his armored ear. “There’s no way any of us could get past them again!”
“We don’t have to.” She pulled out one of the black orbs. “We’ll make a new way! Magenta, take Gan and stay right behind me!” As the pegasus hurriedly nodded, Shetland pulled the pin of the grenade, tossing it back against the wall, before pushing her table forward. Fearing a repeat of her door trick, the robots stayed at a safe distance, content to put hole after hole into her cover, despite their shots harmlessly glancing off her armor. Shetland returned fire blindly, not daring to raise her head as she waited for the explosion. The shockwave and booming noise shook her to her bones, agony coursing through her hindleg. A distinct smell of soy sauce pushed into her nostrils as she turned around. The floor was scorched, ground covered in shards of broken walls, flames licking over the remains of the screen and the carpet. “Go!” she shouted, but Magenta needed no signal as she swooped out, carrying Gan’s body away. Crust stared at the hole, hesitating for a moment.
“WE’RE TOO HIGH UP!”
But the robots now reminded them of their presence, as their cover quickly fell apart. “Discuss it with them!” Shetland shouted as she stormed through the hole, head held low so it wouldn’t present a target. Crust screamed in frustration before chasing after her. All four legs held out, she prepared for the impact. Sagging into her knees, she managed to absorb most of it, even as pain shot through her hindleg. Gritting her teeth, she set her sight on the windmill station. It was their last chance. She ran, her lungs tingling as the Horizon air did nothing for them. Behind her, Crust managed to roll with the fall before reaching his hooves again and taking off after her, his heavy breathing audible even through his helmet.
Shetland stared right ahead, the windmill entrance was wide open, but a small group of robots held guns at the ready, shots she wouldn’t be able to take without her helmet. She turned around, just in time as the shots hit her back. Her vision blurred, her lungs struggling as she frantically fumbled at her armor, drawing the final black orb. With a yell, she tossed it inside the group, which instantly scattered. Shetland stormed after it, earning a dumbfounded stare from Crust. Just as the enemies looked up at the grenade, and the pin firmly remaining inside, Shetland rammed into the first. While greedily gasping for air, she swung out her hooves, slapping away the weapon of a second. Sudden pain exploded in her foreleg. Screaming, she grabbed the body of the second robot, hiding her face behind it. The last two halted their fire just as Crust ran in, his rifle spewing hot lead into their torsos.
“Nice trick.” he gasped as he grabbed an airmask from a nearby container. “Here, breathe.”
WIth the flickering in her sight disappearing, Shetland forced herself up, gasping as she moved her foreleg.
“Holy shit,” Crust stared with wide eyes at the small hole in her armor. “H-how is it?”
“Painful.” Shetland gasped through her teeth as she testingly put weight on it. “But I can walk.” She swiped her unused grenade from the floor. “C’mon, last chance, if it’s in here-”
“Then it’ll all be worth it.” Crust nodded, slamming the door shut. “I-I think most of them were back there, we might have enough time.”
With a grim nod, Shetland took off, though her leg forced her to go slower and it was Crust who entered the large room first this time. A shot glanced off his helmet. His weapon whipped up to the assailer, but Shetland slapped the gun out of his hooves. She swallowed, utterly fixated on the two lime-green dots drilling into her.
“Toasty!” Shetland gasped, the sudden appearance knocking the wind out her lungs like a hammerblow. The small robot stood in the middle of the room, all by herself. She was undamaged: more than that, her chassis was shining in the electric lights, her eyes seeming brighter than ever. But the overjoyed moment stopped as she looked over the robot’s hoof, which held a gun pointed right at Shetland’s head. Moreso, it was a gun that she recognized, having personally educated the robot to use it.
“You’ve come far, Shetland.” Toasty said, sending a shiver over Shetland’s back. That wasn’t Toasty speaking. Every word was pronounced sharply, utterly opposed to the energetic, bright voice that she knew. The side of her face throbbed in dull pain as a growl grew in her throat, yet the cold voice cut into her ears like a bonesaw through soft flesh. “You've impressed me with your dedication, really.” The A.I. continued to speak, making Toasty’s body walk up and down an invisible line, never letting her eyes leave Shetland’s. “The damage you’ve caused with only four attackers is incredible - the deaths you’ve caused. Three of us are lost, another lies in shambles, we may never be able to restore her data!”
“Don’t act as if you care,” Shetland hissed, pointing a shivering hoof at Toasty’s body. “Those deaths are on your brainwashing!”
“You seem certain.” The A.I. declared, as Toasty’s hoof ran over her body, almost sensually. “But what about this robot? Will her death not be on you, either?”
Shetland sputtered, her eyes staring through Toasty’s body as ice filled her veins. Only to melt. To boil. To remain as a freezing inferno. “You bastard…” she whispered, unable to stop herself from shaking. “Crust, run.”
“W-What?” he exclaimed, whirling around. “But you-”
“I SAID RUN!” Shetland screamed, knowing full well that it could be seconds until the other robots reached the entrance. Crust wouldn’t be able to escape through there. With grim determination, she pulled the pin of her last black orb.
“But what about you?” Crust asked, pleaded.
Shetland threw the bomb against the far wall, blasting the glass apart to create his escape. “GO!” she shouted, but Crust didn’t need any more encouragement. Shetland looked after him as he ran away, hoping dearly he’d make it.
“You remain?” Toasty’s eyes didn’t spare a glance in Crust’s direction, completely fixated on Shetland. “Knowing full well you cannot win?”
“There’s no going back for me.” Shetland said, keeping her voice even despite the rumbling volcano in her chest. “The real Toasty would have known that.” Her eyes narrowed, shrinking her vision down to those two green eyes. “I’m going to make you pay.”
Toasty’s hoof whipped up, her pistol giving off three wild shots. Shetland charged, the fire harmlessly glancing off her armor. “Toasty is a terrible shot!” she shouted as she slapped the gun out of the robot’s hooves. Suddenly, Toasty surged forward, striking at Shetland’s shoulder. The earth pony roared as something sharp dug into her open wound. She whipped a hoof out to force the robot away, a scream on her lips as something was ripped out of her flesh. The robot slowly raised a hoof, showing off the short knife that seemed to be built into the limb. “Hurts, does it not?”
“Do you think you can defeat me with that little toothpick?” Shetland fumed, testingly pawing the ground with her bleeding leg.
“That is all I need, if you do not dare to fight back!” The A.I. responded with sickening glee, Toasty’s body beginning its charge.
“Don’t you dare speak like that in her voice!” Shetland tried to step out of the way, but she was forced to catch Toasty in her charge, pushing her to the ground. She only bought herself a few seconds as the robot rolled back onto her legs, once again swiping the knife around like a madmare. Shetland stemmed her hoof against her friend’s chest, her teeth grinding, tasting blood as she stared deep into those lime-green eyes, looking for a sign. Straightening out her hoof, she pushed the metallic body back.
“You can’t win like this.” The A.I. cackled. “You’ll have to hurt her eventually.”
As she charged, Shetland shot forward, her hoof slamming against the robot’s side. “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU DEFILING HER VOICE!” She pressed her forelegs onto Toasty’s sides, pinning both her hooves. “GET OUT OF HER HEAD!” she screamed into the dark visor.
Toasty’s head shot forward, painfully smacking into Shetland’s nose. The earth pony jerked back, eyes filling with boiling tears. Roaring, her head rammed into Toasty’s visor. She screamed as cracking glass dug into her skin. She surged forward, hammering into the visor like a wild beast. Her head rang. Blood surged from deep gouges in her face. Toasty’s body shivered. “S-Shetland-” she exclaimed as the earth pony’s face broke the robot’s cameras, dousing the green dots.
Shetland dropped her friend’s body, blood and tears streaming over her face. She tried to wipe it away with her hoof, yowling as it pushed the shards deeper into her flesh. She turned, staring at Toasty struggling to get to her hooves, the hoof with the knife swiping in the earth pony’s vague direction. With tears of regret, Shetland stepped over her, wrapping the short, metallic body in a restricting hug, ignoring the dull sensations of kicks at her armor. She reached down, her teeth scraping over Toasty’s ear. Using her wounded leg to keep the head in place, Shetland bit into the metal, tearing and ripping at the ear. Sparks flew, the joint let out a deafening shriek. With an enormous crack, Shetland’s head flew back, spitting out the ear. Toasty had stopped fighting, merely shivering as strained breath hit the side of her head.
“I’ll save you.” Shetland whispered, her heart bleeding as her teeth clenched around metal, snapping the other ear off. Toasty’s body trembled, then became still, as if she were just sleeping. Shetland gently laid her on the ground, a hoof caressing over her face even as the broken glass cut into it. Then, sucking air through her teeth, she got up, glancing over the robots all around her. Their metal bodies were an impenetrable barrier to all exits, their combined armament aimed right at her head. And yet, there was no shot, no shuffling movement, as her eyes swept over each one.
“Bring me to your leader!” she demanded sternly. Some of the robots swayed on bent and broken legs, others had their heads turned to accomodate for a broken half of their visor. “Bring me to your leader!” she shouted. Her right cheek throbbed, and she felt an enormous sting in her eye. “Don’t play games with me, I will only speak to you face to face- and I know you want to talk to me!” She stood upright, not allowing her aching body to show any sign of weakness.
The mass of robots parted, creating a single path which Shetland followed, resisting any urge to look at the guns pointed at her head as she was led towards a staircase behind the room. Her eyes narrowed. These stairs were right behind the room Toasty had waited in. The A.I. had used her as a sort of gatekeeper! As the thought made her clench her teeth, her entourage separated into two groups of a dozen each, one going ahead, the other following closely behind her as they ascended the stairs.
The room of the mainframe was unusually large, encompassing most of the second floor. It took Shetland a moment to realize that it was because the walls had been knocked down for some reason. The second she left the stairs, the robots backed several feet away, never moving their weapons away as Shetland drew in for a close look at what laid in the center of the room. The cube was no bigger than the data core she’d bargained with on the hyena’s ship. It looked like it could fit within an average robot’s head. A square basin, covered in hundreds of cables, connected it to the surrounding machinery.
“Do you hear me?” Shetland shouted, slowly approaching the core, until the sound of a cocking gun stopped her.
“You have come far, Shetland Sparkle.” A voice came from the walls, oddly stilted, like a bad recording of an old stallion. “But as stubborn as you are, even you must see that you cannot win.”
Shetland spat, a bit of blood mixed into her saliva. “You stopped me, alright.” she grumbled, trying to ignore the horrible itching in her left eye. “Barely.”
“But you have failed your goal.” The A.I. declared. If Shetland wasn’t imagining things, it spoke a bit quicker. The thought brought a smirk to her face. “I would have you shot down before you could even reach your weapon. I will offer you one last chance to surrender.”
“Surrender.” A chuckle began to trickle out of Shetland’s mouth. She threw her head up as tension broke out of her chest with each new flash of laughter. “You want me to surrender? That’s hilarious!” With tantalizing slowness, she put a hoof to her heavy pistol, slowly raising it upwards until it lazily pointed right at the data core. Her smirk broke into a full-out grin as she looked at the stunned robots on either side. “I think it is your turn to surrender.”
“The second you pull that trigger, you will be shot down.” The A.I. warned.
“I don’t think I will.” Shetland smirked. “You have eighty robots here, armed with small-grade weapons, several damaged- oh, and I think I shot your little pet project. Sure, they can kill me, but then what? You’re gonna hold out against mom, Luna, two dozen Voidmarines plus whatever reinforcements we fly in? I have you at gunpoint and we were just four! But you do have one thing that could get you out of here… and that is me.” She took a shuddering breath, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyeball. “I’m your bargaining chip… as long as I’m alive.” She leaned her head to the side, carefully lining up the shot.
“Your friend is still under my power!” the synthetic voice exclaimed. “Shoot- and I will delete her.
Shetland’s hoof rammed into the ground. “If you do anything to her, I will break you, with my bare hooves if I have to! You can’t shoot me. I can. And when I die, your days are numbered. But you’re right, I don’t want to take the risk. ” She took a long breath. “So, here’s your deal: your little resistance vanishes. All the robots come back, without a trace of your brainwashing. Khunbish has your source code, she’ll be able to detect anything you try to sneak through. In exchange… I’ll sneak you through. You put your core in a spare body. Mom’s gonna keep an eye on you, but nopony else will know. That’s my offer.”
“I would be defenseless.”
“You ARE defenseless!” Shetland shouted. “You don’t exactly have options.” She glanced at her gun for emphasis.
Slowly, one after the other, the surrounding robots lowered their weapons. “Why- why would you offer this?”
“Because… you could be fooling me. This could be any robot’s core, and if I shot it, you would delete her.” Swaying on her hooves, Shetland fought against the dizziness that began to sweep into her mind as half her vision began to blur out, like she was watching through wet glass. “And I need you defeated, decisively, right now. Or mom’s gonna call the hyenas for help…” she grimaced. “All of this… you just happened to escape because of a dumb scientist. You came up here, now they have ‘reinforcements’ ready.” Her hoof began to grow heavy, the gun jittering as she glared at the core. “Call me paranoid, but I don't believe that. Normally, scientists are smart.” She pressed through her teeth. “So there you have it. Now surrender.” Licking her lips, she stared down at the core as it processed. She could already feel the familiar taste of bile rising in her throat.
“I accept your offer.”
Suddenly, the robots dropped to the floor, one after the other. “Hey!” Shetland exclaimed.
“A simple reset!” The synthetic voice was quick to assure. “It is required to fulfill my part of the agreement.”
“Fine…” Shetland breathed out, nearly falling to the floor herself as the adrenaline drained from her body. “Message. Need to message mom.”
“You will be given means for communication, as well as painkillers and first aid.”
“Bring ‘em down.” Shetland muttered, forcing her tired hooved to trot towards the staircase.
“Where are you going?” The voice asked, a hint of confusion ringing in it’s faint echo, causing Shetland to halt.
“You’ve been in Toasty’s head. You should know where I’m going.”
----
Shetland stumbled the final steps towards the small, broken robot. Her breath went fast, constant pained signals shooting through her body. She couldn’t stand anymore. The right side of her face felt like it’d been skinned, while her eye could’ve been sprayed with lemon juice from every direction, including the inside of her skull. Yet still, she was only fixated on Toasty as she crawled the final inches towards her fallen body. “It’s over, Toasty. It’s finally over.” But there were no ears to pick up her words, Shetland realized, her jaw quivering as she wrapped her legs around the small robot.
Suddenly, Toasty’s head reached forward, pushing into Shetland’s chest. There was a quiet noise, like a tiny vacuum cleaner. “Shetty…” she whispered, followed by a pure, peaceful humm.
“You- you should probably stop doing that…” Shetland whispered, a wave of relief washing over her as she cradled the robot in her hooves.
Meanwhile, a couple robots were setting up radio equipment beside them. Groaning, Shetland dragged herself closer, roughly shoving the technicians out of the way. Her working hoof darted over the equipment, hoping she could find the right frequency- “Magenta?” she asked the microphone, licking over her dry lips as she waited… and waited, dreading every new passing second until-
“SHETLAND? Is that you?” Magenta’s disbelieving voice rushed through the speaker.
“It’s me. Is Crust there?”
“I’m here.” His voice was distorted, but it was clearly him, possibly inside of the storage. “By Celestia, Shetland, you actually made it? I-I was assuming the worst!”
“I did it,” Shetland confirmed, hoping her frown would not show in her voice. “Put a couple shots in its core. Wish I could show you, but it’s all electric and stuff, better not touch it.” A lightness was beginning to spread in her head, padding her mind from her physical aches. Shetland groaned, but she couldn’t chase the feeling away, couldn’t stop her thoughts from slowing down like an exhausted rabbit. “Listen!” she shouted, as if speaking louder would make it better. “Me and Toasty, we need a ride to get outta here. Can you come and pick us up?”
There was a moment of silence before Magenta’s voice answered, full of hesitation. “Gan’s bleeding badly, Shetland. I-if there’s any chance you’ll make it a while longer-”
“Oh yeah-” Shetland blinked. Through her foggy mind, even the talons scratching at her eyeball had become bearable. “It’s fine. Just tell mom, tell her I got it, and that I’m here and-” With a shout, she shook her head, mobilizing all of her willpower to force some semblance of clarity back into her mind. “Listen, I want them to scan Toasty first, just in case there’s any bad stuff left in her mind. And-” she caught herself from saying the next part out loud, instead continuing in a whisper, hoping that Crust wouldn’t hear. “There’s another robot, a friend of Toasty. It’ll come talk to you. Make sure this one doesn’t get scanned until I can speak with my mother.”
“W-what?” Magenta stuttered at the strange request. “B-but why-”
“Just do it, please.” Shetland muttered as the world slowly began to turn. Feeling her consciousness bleed out, she looked down at Toasty, a last sentence leaving her lips. “Magenta, make sure they’re ready to repair her.”
Whether Magenta understood, she wasn’t sure, just as she wondered why the floor felt so cold against her cheek-