//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Operation New World 
// by BlackDawn 
//------------------------------//

The first thing I hear are sparks. I try to look around but find that my body feels as if it was left in a tub full of ice.

After some time of only hearing sparks and muffled noises nearby, I finally opened my eyes to see… nothing. I immediately assume the worst until I spot bright sparks among the darkness and realize that, wherever I am, the lights are just off.

While I let my eyes adjust to the darkness I feel around my bed, only to find that, contrary to what I first thought,  I seem to be in a tube of sorts and not a bed. While I'm feeling around the tube one of my hooves slides over a lever and in my half-awake state I decide to pull it, causing a loud hissing to echo across the small room.

By the time the pod has fully opened, my eyes have adjusted to the darkness and I'm able to pull myself out of my pod using my front hooves, only to fall to the ground. My hind hooves seem to be asleep, preventing me from standing up.

I am content in waiting until I hear something hit the floor next to me. I whip my head in the direction of the sound as fast as i can, which isn't admittedly all that fast considering i feel like a Popsicle, but i did my best.

As soon as my vision adjusts I see a zebra, I think, and she looks at me, seemingly just as confused as I am. We stare each other up and down, and besides the obvious stripes, I notice scars crisscrossing her body, as well as a Glyph on her flank that seems to be 3 interlocked rings. When I look at it, it reminds me of a sporting event a long while back, but I can't remember what it was called for the life of me.

“My eyes are up here” the Zebra smirks at me, making my green eyes snap up to her violet ones.

“I’m sorry.” I excuse myself “It's just that, i don't really remember too much of… anything really before i woke up.” I justify after a few moments “Do you remember anything?”

“No.” she says hesitantly “I don't remember anything either, Who are you?” she inquires, seemingly disoriented by her lack of memory.

“Well, I was hoping you would know that.” While I'm saying this I'm finally able to feel my hind legs and stand up “Need some help?” I offer her a hoof.

“Thank you.” She responds, accepting my hoof and standing up. “Look around, maybe something nearby can tell us who we are.” she commands, seemingly by instinct.

“No problem.” I tell her as I wipe some frost off my fatigues while I begin my search for a light switch.

Fortunately, I find it with relative ease, but upon flipping it all I get are more sparks.

“That's odd.” i muse. While I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with the power, my newfound zebra friend calls me over to a terminal.

As I walk carefully towards her, as to not trip on anything in the dark, I point out “How does the terminal still have power? Everything else isn't working.”

“Well, it may be battery powered and such.” she responds as i settle down next to her “But it doesn't matter, look i found two files on here! One is labeled ‘Colonel Steel Heart’ and the other is labeled ‘Veteran Legionary Tahiya’”

Once she finished her sentence, she clicked on Colonel Steel Heart. At first it seemed as if it was just numbers and letters, until i realized that it was medical information.

“Lets see here” i state “3.8 feet tall, white Pegasus, 3 strike cutie mark?” 

“Seems to be you, Steel Heart.” She states “Which means i’m most likely Tahiya.” we silently revel in our success, until i state the unfortunate.

“While it's good we know who we are now, we still don't know why we are here.”

Before Tahiya can respond however, a klaxon starts to blare, activating emergency lights, followed by gun and laser fire erupting somewhere in the distance.

“WARNING: HOSTILE FORCES ENTERING C.O.R.E. DEFENSIVE PROCEDURES ENGAGED” a feminine robotic voice announces through a nearby speaker as two ponies walk in wearing white armor with similar designs to plate-mail of old and wielding some sort of laser weapon I've never seen before.

“Return to your Cryo-pods immediately subjects #1 and #2.” they order simultaneously, aiming their rifles at me.

“Wait, what do you mean Cryo-” I'm cut off by the sound of laser fire as Tahiya dashes to the side of one at an incredible speed, tearing his laser rifle out of his battle saddle, quickly smashing the butt of the rifle into his face, sending him to the ground as she pivots around on her hind hooves firing the rifle using her front hooves into the other ones chest, leaving a gaping wound.

“How in Tartarus did you do that!” I shout out. I don't get an immediate answer as the other laser rifle smacks into my hooves.

“I have no idea!” orders Tahiya “But i'm guessing it has something to do with my rank!” She asks while I take the battle saddle off of one of the robots, herself apparently electing to keep using her front hooved firing technique.

“Ok, so maybe it's muscle memory?” I respond, hoping that's the case, because I can't remember a damn thing.

“A mystery for another day, Steel, but we have to go, now!” she says as she pops her rifle out the door firing a couple of blasts down the hall with sparking noises following as she ducks back in.

With a click I connect my new laser rifle to my saddle, just as two more ponies barge into the room, knocking Tahiya over. Before they can do anything further, I blast them with two well aimed shots, fortunate enough to have retained some muscle memory.

“Let's whoop some ass”