//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: Fallout Equestria: First Responders // by Chokfi //------------------------------// Aspa River Firehouse, Arimaspi Territory Tuesday, March 17th, 10:45 AM Final Day minus 2 Hours Florian Cross “At eleven in the morning, we all heard the factory blow, The blast took out the windows, and the shrapnel fell like snow." The blast cracked the windows of the firehouse as chief Florian Cross looked up from his table. Even from four miles away he had to take notice. The firehouse crews attention was immediately won over from the game of poker Florian had been dealing when the first low rumble has reached them. It had come from the docks, and with a glance outside he could see that everyone was staring at it. The one military installation in town, the munitions factory, was in flames. The fire crew was only six strong, a small station for a small town. There were a few volunteers but they usually didn’t need to call them in. Today seemed like they would, so without even checking the alarms as calls began to pour in Florian nodded at one of his ponies to hit the signal for the volunteers. He knew that if anything was happening, anything dangerous, it would be at the factory. They shouldn’t need to leave instructions, not after that blast. Florian hopped over the edge of the ledge, down to the garage with the fire engine. Without a word he grabbed the wooden pull bar with his teeth, beginning to move even as Firefly pulled up the door before buzzing back to the engine and climbing on. Newer trucks existed, sure, which might be powered by Spark-Batteries or old earth pony steam engines, but a small town like Aspa River didn’t need any more than one full-torque horsepower. Air rushed through Florian’s ears as he barreled through the heavy dust that began to settle on the streets within five miles of the factory. They had to get there as soon as possible, so he didn’t bother to do anything but let his ponies run the siren and bearl through anyone who got in his way. Few ponies were so stunned by the blast that they couldn’t get out of the way, but many were still standing without understanding even after they moved full speed past them. As they approached the factory they were forced to slow down. The rubble was strewn all over the street, broken glass and rocks making Florian have to be careful where he put his hoof. “Sweet Mother Celestia,” He muttered as he moved closer to the massive building, setting up the engine as close as he could. “Everyone off!” He yelled as he put the breaks on, setting it up as a break against any more explosions. “Everyone off! We need to start clearing casualties, who knows what else in there hasn’t blown yet. Hallagin, break down the door, your first. Dustdevil, I need you to clear the area behind the engine to put casualties.” Haligin moved like lightning, grabbing his namesake tool and prying the front doors open with gusto. He smashed rubble ahead of him under hoof and axe, clearing the obstructions so the others could pile in and gather the hurt and dead. The factory could, at any time, be the most populated building in town with the navy stationed here gathering shipments from the loading docks. Florian couldn’t help but stare at the sign, half of which was burned away. Once reading Bang Brothers Artillery Factory, it only the words Bang Artiler were left standing. The building probably wouldn’t collapse, at least not quickly. It was made of steel and brick, and while many of the bricks were now dust in the wind the steel should hold. Unless, that is, the inflammable gasses used in this mess of a factory floor had been ignited and weakened the steel beams. With their fireproof barding the firefighters could walk through the flames without harm, and as his crew moved through the building Florian was glad for it. Even as he heard small blasts sound around the floor, blasts that he knew were sending shrapnel and tearing barding on all sides. At that point the second of the first responders arrived, the medical team. It was just a pegasus pulling the hospital ambulance, with a unicorn mare standing on top. Florian gestured at the evac point, yelling. “The wounded are over there!” He then returned to his work, using the hose to put out major fires even as the unicorn mare was stunned at the amount of ponies already on the ground. Twenty in ten minutes, and more were coming out even as small blasts could be heard reverberating through the building. Even as he moved his hose to another part of the wall Florian was watching the door, and he could see Hallagin stumble out with another four ponies slung over his back. His barding was torn, several major burns and cuts on his legs. But he just shrugged them off at the evac point and went back inside. Thankfully the volunteers were arriving, the four helping with the evac point and dealing with anything they could before the ponies were ferried back to the hospital on the other side of town. The fire crew was being tested to the limit, and all they could do was hope that they wouldn’t be pressed beyond it. --- As hours wore on, the rest of the casualties were removed from the burning wreckage of the building. The pegasus ambulance driver seemed strained, taking everyone he could  as soon as he knew they were stable, and he was already tiring. The crew volunteers were helping stabilize the casualties, care for them, do basic first aid. This was the kind of disaster they were trained for. Florian, compared to his mares and stallions who had rescued most folks, was relatively untouched, even considering shrapnel in his shoulder. Once the area was fully cordoned off by the police, the area around the factory was as clear as it was going to be. Everyone was accounted for, either wounded or dead. The factory could still be dangerous, the fire crew couldn’t tell how many munitions were left unburned so procedure was to leave it for 48 hours so that they were as sure as possible that the fires were out, than have the Hazmat squad go in and clear it up. For now, all Florian could do was pull the truck, so he walked back to the pull bar. “Everyone in.” He said, nodding over at the pegasus to continue piling a couple critical cases into his ambulance. “I can cary everyone up to the hospital, and we need to get the Tartarus out of here. In Celestia’s name, no one can be left outside when we evacuate.” Slowly they moved in, climbing into the now empty tank on the top of the wagon by removing it’s lid. The building was rubble, and the danger zone was clear. It was time to leave. With the assurance of a tap on his withers Florian began to walk forward, pulling the cart towards the hospital across town. The Earth Pony didn’t move quickly, but ponies still got out of his way. Everyone who had been left were resting in the bed of the tank. Even though the fire truck weigh him down down, even though his strength was a third that of only an hour or so before, Cross still knocked the odd obstruction out of his way. The hospital parking lot had been taken up by a lot of the less grave cases from the factory, a few nurses caring for them while others waited to be treated. There had been blessed few who needed immediate doctor attention, and they were likely all in surgery now or dead. Those outside, they just needed rest, a little bit of treatment, and care. The crew, well, though they were nowhere near the best off their injuries were relatively minor, even with shrapnel in their limbs and small scorch marks singing their fur. “Well, at least you're okay.” A beautiful voice came from behind Florian. It was Ms. Hello, one of the nurses of the hospital. “I hope you don’t mind if I give you some… special treatment.” She said, brushing against his side. She was a bombshell and it made his spine tingle like heaven. “I mean, that adrenaline must be one hell of a drug, if you can think like that with that many burns.” She whispered into Florian’s ear, catching him off guard. It seemed that he had been rather more obvious than he had supposed. “Oh, nothing could make this moment better.” Florian said, grinning at her. They had had a thing, once or twice. Out of the corner of his eye he could see nurses come for the truck, and he started to walk to the curb… right next to the bushes. “A Pretty mare like you taking care of me? What could possibly go wrong.” “Well, I might have an idea.” An earth pony stallion said, coming into view. He wore a pressed navy blue shirt, a tightly tied dark blue tie, and a blue peaked hat bearing a shining gold badge. “Detective Shield, nice to make your acquaintance.” He put out a hoof, shaking Florian’s firmly. “I’m in charge of the Bang Bros investigation, do you mind if I interview you?” The fire chief shook his head at the other earth pony. Sitting down on the curb, and accepting a cigarette from the detective. “No, I don’t mind.” Florian said, letting the cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth. “S’long as you don’t mind Ms. Hello here taking care of my wounds. I’m not a fan of leaving burns untreated just so some city boy can ask me questions.” He took another drag from the cigarette. “I don’t remember much though, it’s a bit frantic from my prospective.” Footnote Florian Cross Trait Discovered Pain Train: You have trained as the pony with the power of a steam engine. You have learned to move without stopping through any kind of obstruction. When charging ponies will get out of your way, whether they want to or not. However, your a responder, you learned to safely plant those ponies on their plots. You can no longer do a true charge, your charges do no damage as you pass through ponies.