//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: White Tail not so Refinery // Story: MegaMare-X // by Xujints the Water Horse //------------------------------// The next day, Lyra awoke in a cold sweat and shrugged off the blanket that was covering her still armored body. Thoughts of C.A.D.A.N.C.E. and the screams of ponies as they ran from the Mavericks that were taking over haunted her dreams and kept her up for a lot longer than she would have hoped. Her body may have armor keeping it safe, but her mind was unprotected. She grumbled as she got to her hooves and wandered to the kitchen to make herself something to eat for breakfast. Before she could get too far however she would hear the voice of B-0n and Twilight in her ears, much to her own confusion. “Lyra, your presence is requested in the main lab.” “Sorry if we woke you, B-0n and I found something!” Where… She didn’t even know where the ‘main lab’ is? It was still too early for this crud. Still, she found herself complying and ever further from her initial goal. Her movements were sluggish for a little while, but as she started to wake up she started to pick up the pace and actually started to read the signs on the walls. She was going the wrong way… Oops! Maybe she was more tired than she thought? Grinning sheepishly to herself, she turned around and actually started to head in the direction of the lab. Stepping inside, she noted how similar this place looked compared to the capsule room she was in a while back. Computers lined the walls, tables full of tools were here and there, and B-0n and Twilight were conversing in the corner. Lyra waved at them jovially, “Hey you two. What’s up?” B-0n was the first to acknowledge her, cutting off Twilight by saying, “Greetings Lyra. I mean no offense.” Lyra rubbed her eyes briefly before asking, “Offense?” Twilight chimed in, looking a little peeved to be interrupted like she was, “Hey. B-0n here took the initiative to link our com frequencies so we can talk whenever we need to. She has been... Trying to awaken you for the past hour.” Lyra rubbed the back of her neck with an armored hoof and only slightly regretted the gesture as it was rather uncomfortable ruffling what little of her drying mane poked out from under her helmet, “W-was that what I was hearing?” They nodded as B-0n stated, “I have to leave soon to scout out the grounds around Canterlot. It is currently protected by a shield and even if we did have the parts you need to build that teleporter, you would not be able to get inside.” Lyra nodded in understanding, “So you plan on finding a way in for us? Alright… Was that all you wanted me for because I have not eaten yet and am pretty hungry.” Immediately, B-0n shoved a muffin in Lyra’s face. Lemon surprise, a rare treat, “I knew you would. That is why I made you this. We need you in fighting shape, because we already know where to send you first.” She looked between B-0n and the muffin for a moment before gently taking a bite out of it, “Thank you… What is this about sending me places?” Now it was Twilight's turn to cut off B-0n, “B-0n and I have found most of the parts we need for the teleporter, but they are currently tucked away inside maverick hot zones. We need you to warp in and deal with the threat and get out safely.” Lyra chuckled softly before deflating noticably, “Darn fetch quests… Anything else, your highness?” Twilight nodded, “Actually yes. There are other things you can do while you are there, B-0n has told me that the armor you are wearing was worked on long after the prototype you are wearing now. If you are lucky, you may find something of use out there.” B-0n would state as Lyra ate the muffin slowly, “As far as I know, the Doctor had scattered her research all through Equestria. Her base armor was locked away here underground. Everything else… I do not know where it is anymore. I trust your luck will hold.” “Ah, luck… The most mysterious variable.” Twilight stated confidently, “I would say Lyra here has that in spades at this point.” Lyra smiled between bites as the muffin nearly met its end, “Thanks for stroking my ego… And saying I have no skill.” Twilight gasped, “I didn’t-” The armored unicorn pointed at her with the last bite of her breakfast muffin, “Relax. I am joking… Managing morale is all.” B-0n stated in response, “Indeed your skills are lacking, but you are far more powerful than the others that tried to wear the suit. The tenth iteration suits you, Lyra.” “Tenth? Was this the tenth prototype?” B-0n would nod, “Affirmative. Designation Mega Mare X.” Twilight would ask, “Mare? What about ‘pony’?” “Only mares have worn the suit thus far, so the name stuck.” Lyra nearly choked on the muffin due to her laughter and pelted B-0n with tiny bits of lemon and baked goods, “That's it? I'll take it.” Twilight and B-0n both looked at her, seeming bewildered. This promoted Lyra to say, gesturing with muffin wrapper in hoof, “While I am out in the field, my codename will be LX.” B-0n’s optics narrowed at her, “Sixty is not exactly close to ten, Lyra.” Lyra puffed her chest out confidently and said, “Yeah, but the L is for Lyra. I want to be remembered as more than just number Ten, ya know?” Twilight remained silent for a moment before shrugging, “I am not even going to ask… Let’s just go with it.” B-0n relented, “As you wish… So, LX, want to hear the briefing for your first away mission?” Lyra deflated once more, “I was kind of hoping to have another muffin, but sure.” B-0n, not skipping a beat, began the briefing, “The first place you will go is to the White Tail Water Refinery. We will use the Suit’s tether feature to teleport you into one of the water domes and you will have to descend to the lake bed to find out why the refinery is not pumping water to the rest of Equestria.” Lyra blinked in surprise, “What thether?” B-0n momentarily elaborates before continuing, “Your suit can teleport to many of the access points around Equestria. However, due to heavy Maverick activity we cannot get you too close… You would need to travel on hoof to investigate further. We can get you into one of the domes, however the one you need to reach is blocked. Once the Maverick threat is dealt with, you can restart the refinery and restore water to Equestria. With this main refinery back online, others will reset and soon follow.” Lyra leaned on the monitor that Twilight was projecting herself from and said, “Okay, I get that, but what does this have to do with the fetch quest… Or the research… Or the fact I cannot breath underwater.” Twilight addressed each of those questions in the order in which she said to them, “In the refinery you will find a spare purifying crystal. They were gifts from the crystal empire to aid in cleaning water. The Government had stored many of them there. They can filter energy too, which will be invauble for managing the unstable energy we need to open up that hole. B-0n also said that the research data is hidden inside capsules similar to the one we found the suit in. And… Your helmet has a built in rebreather and a small store of oxygen for emergencies. You will be fine as long as you are not down there for longer than two days." B-0n reached out and touched Lyra’s helm and true to their word, a visor appeared over her eyes that revealed some of her suit’s specs, and a customizable face shield with a rebreather setting. “Armor integrity? Oxygen levels? Vitals? That’s a lot of data to keep track of… Wait, two days?” B-0n said calmly, “Your HUD is customizable as well. The suit responds to your thoughts just as much as your movements. For now, focus on your armor integrity. Should that fail, your suit will pull you out of trouble for a while, but do not rely on it. The tether is a safety net, not a luxury. Many of its subsystems require you to remain conscious. Should you run into trouble before your armor can mend itself, you will be defenseless." Lyra slowly nodded, "Are we just going to gloss over the two days thing?" Twilight asked in response, “You can go whenever you are ready, Lyra.” Lyra sighed before striking a pose, "Fine... We can talk about it later, lets light this candle!" B-0n, unfazed by Lyra’s posturing, said, “Okay.” Against Lyra’s will, B-0n activated her tether and sent her on her way before Lyra could so much as idle stance. Despite not having the best features for it, Twilight knew the robotic mare was smiling, “That was… Rude.” Ignoring her, B-0n said, “I missed that…” Twilight paused, giving the robot some time to think. Something was going on here, but she didn’t want to pry. Not yet… LX's landing in the Refinery was surprisingly graceful, actually landing on her feet. But when she compared it to the only other teleport like this one, it was rather natrual. This was somewhat planned after all. She took a deep breath and composed herself. Given how B-0n had described this place, she had honestly expected there to be more Mavericks around. However, there was hardly anything in sight. All she could see was the light filtering in through a hole in the ceiling and illuminating the dark, damp, dilapidated ruins of one of the Refinery’s purifying domes. It was honestly a little disheartening seeing this place so ruined and overgrown. Just how long has this place been like this? How long has the whole world been like this!? Before she could think about it much longer, a pungent odor filled her nostrils. She reached to cover her face but found her visor and rebreather had already had her covered. Keeping an eye on her HUD, it cautioned her about the toxic levels of… Something… She honestly wasn’t paying close enough attention in science class to recognize scientific notation. All she did know was that if she breathed in any more of it she could have fainted from the smell alone That was when she heard a voice in her ear. B-0n? “I take it you landed well, LX?” LX unconsciously nodded, “Yeah… Made it into the dome safely. I am about to head deeper inside.” “Do be careful… I neglected to mention one other key feature of the Suit. Should you find any energy crystals left behind when you destroy Mavericks, pick them up. They will restore your suit’s integrity and overall condition.” Once again, she nodded in understanding, “Got it!” With that said, LX walked along a catwalk leading out over a pool of water that likely led deeper into the refinery. Before she took the plunge however, she elected to look around and investigate the ruined dome further. Perhaps she might find clues as to what exactly happened here. There wasn’t too much to find really, save for a couple of pony like Mavericks struggling to get out from underneath a pile of rubble. Taking pity upon them, LX aimed her buster and put them out of their misery. Despite them trying to harm her as she walked closer, they had to have been the caretakers of this place at one time. If B-0n was any indication, they could have turned out better… There had to be a reason for all of this. There just had to! But the answers eluded her no matter how hard she tried to piece what little information she had. She lacked too much of the puzzle. LX put the puzzle away for now and instead turned back to the task at hoof. She had to get into the lake and the only way out right now was the water. Heading back to the catwalk, LX hopped over the railing and sunk straight down to the bottom of one of the tank's chambers. Hooves on the metal basin below, all she’d really need to do is follow the pipes and filters back to the lake, right? She considered herself lucky, as all the decay and rust left little in the way of motorized osbtacles. She was literally able to walk past the decayed fans leading out and through some pipes that were surprisingly too big to be normal. It wasn’t until she crossed that threshold that she would know why that was the case. There were Mavericks here… They were not particularly large, but she could surmise they were there for maintinence. It was a wonder they were still able to move down here. The horrid, gunk dripping abominations attacked her without hesitation as their sensored picked up her presense, and she attacked them in kind. As she continued on through the maze of pipes, she came across a welcoming sight. Plant life and algae were thriving down here… Perhaps the world isn’t as lifeless as she initially thought. Among the rubble she occasionally spotted what appeared to be mechanical frogs, something she needed to take out immediately after she noted how the first one latched onto her and made her armor integrity lose an eighth of its power with a mighty shock. Eventually, LX found herself at the mouth of one of the pipes leading into the lake. Or is it out of it? Technically, she is coming out an entrance, so… Semantics aside, that was a fairly decent drop. Taking a deep breath, LX let go of the fan she was holding on to and descended into the murky depths below. It was a little bit of a rough landing, as the bottom of the lake was covered in even more sludge and junk. Emphasis on the latter, as there was so much in fact LX was nearly tripping over herself just getting her hooves under her. She had to find her balance fast, as the local robotic life had caught sight of her trudging through the muck. Robotic fish? She should have seen them coming after the frogs. Rather than sit around to see whatever else was down here waiting for her, LX worked her way towards the true bottom of the lake, descending even further into the darkness. It was getting to the point where she was only able to see where she was going thanks to the lights from her armor. The sooner she gets out of here, the better… That was what she thought until she spotted a light off in the distance. Curious! She wandered over to it and to her horror… It was another dang fish! A big angler fish, but a fish nonetheless. She was honestly about to leave but a sudden flash from her visor halted her. Something appears to be resonating with her armor down here, but what? Could it be one of those capsules that Twilight and B-0n told her about? LX followed the energy readings down deep into the darkness and found another capsule buried in the rubble. Not even a day in and already finding a breakthrough in maverick busting technology. Now this really brought a smile to her face. Using her magic to crack it open, she found her suit was already interfacing with it! It seems that B-0n had set in a subroutine to link the capsule to their coms network. With the address boost from the capsule’s link, a familiar holographic figure appeared inside, “And that is why we do not like quesadillas!” Clearly LX was missing an interesting story there… But no matter, she waved at Twilight and say, “Hey Doc, am I interrupting something?” Twilight nervously patted her holographic hooves on the floor of the capsule and said, “Nope, nothing at all!. Wow did you find research data already? I better take a look! Bye!” LX snarked, only slightly dissapointed to be left alone as quickly as Twilight 'arrived', “Yeah, go ahead and leave me alone down here… It’s not like there isn't anything in here that can help me right now.” Twilight stopped reading to apologize, “Sorry Lyra... It’s a personal story. Anyway, there does appear to be something here… It appears to be some sort of armor component but it wasn’t ready to be applied just yet. I will play this recording I found while I take a look around. I think it will shed some light on what we will be getting into.” Holo Twilight vanished, replaced shortly after by a rather interesting looking Pegasus that she did not recognize. Their hologram was blue, a bit of a contrast compared to Twilight’s purple. Like her, they were wearing a Lab coat, but beyond that they were wearing some sort of engine turbines on their back. What happened to their wings, she wondered? He spoke, startling the armored mare from her thoughts, “Greetings. My name is Thunder Strike and I am the head of research and Development here at ERI. For years I have struggled with being a grounded pegasus. Having lost my wings long ago, I swore to myself to find a way to return the ability of flight to Pegasi that can no longer fly. Here at ERI, I was given the freedom to do so, as well as aid others that lost more than just their wings. Recreating that magic ponies have was hard, but with Doctor Twilight’s aid, I finally made a breakthrough in prosthetic technology. Before, it took a lot of power to make one airborne, but the energy crystal refinement pioneered by [Redacted] and Doctor Twilight gave us the power needed to convert Magics of other races into usable Pegasi magic. Combine that with miniature mobility turbines mounted on one’s limbs, a pony will be able to become ‘grounded’ anywhere by drawing moisture together into temporary walkable clouds. While it is not true flight yet, it is only a matter of time before these huge things can be attached to anyone and anything and give them the ability to trot through the sky unhindered.” The ability to walk on clouds you create any time and anywhere? Seemed too good to be true, right? Given what she has seen so far, she was almost willing to believe anything she was told… That was when Twilight returned, a wide smile beaming on her muzzle, “Step inside Lyra! This Thunder Strike character actually left blueprints for the device in here. A little tweaking to the design, and I should be able to mount it to your suit.” “Nice!” Thoroughly encouraged, LX hopped inside and let the magic happen. Upon stepping out, she noticed her leg armor had changed, now shimmering white and gold compared to the normal green that it was moments ago. Fancy! LX hopped out and asked, “So how does it work Doc?” “Your suit is naturally integrated into your nervous system to monitor your vitals and react to your subconscious thoughts. It should be as easy as thinking for it to work and it does so.” Simple, yet effective. She thought hard about it and leapt up. She indeed felt some sort of platform beneath her, but even with all this water around to draw upon, the cloud didn't last long enough for her to jump off of. At most, she figured she would be able to quick step on it, dash in mid air. She was probably too heavy for much else… With a wave, she called out to Twilight and said, “Thanks Doc. Hope the rest of the research data comes in use.” Twilight waved before the capsule closed shut once again and its lights died out, no longer resonating with LX. Armed with this sweet new armor piece, the rest of the platforming hazards found at the bottom of the lake seemed a little trivial. That was good enough for her, as in truth she didn’t really want to stay down here too long. She didn't want to test that two days oxygen thing. As she started to go uphill again, she noticed a little bit of an oddity. It almost seemed like the water was getting clearer. No, it was definitely getting clearer! As the light from the surface began to filter in through the dark, so too did cleaner and cleaner water. Even the junk underhoof seemed to be receding now as some of the Mavericks were not paying attention to her as strongly and instead working on cleaning up the place. It was an odd sight to be sure. Had they not started attacking her, she might have considered leaving them alone… If things are being this pristine here, she could only guess the dome above her was still operational. That means that there was no likely way she was getting in the same way she left the other one. That was okay though. Surely there was a maintenance hatch somewhere down here for ponies? Some other way of getting in from the lake bed? After all, who would maintain the machines down here that maintained the structure from below? There was a few flaws in that logic, as the mavericks could simply surface for maintinece, but she could believe any sort of thing right about now. LX searched hard for it, all the while a pair of eyes watched her from a distance. Soon, she heard… Singing? It was beautiful and melancholic. It seemed nearly impossible that a pony would be down here without some sort of trouble, so it must have been a Maverick. Still, it was odd to imagine a robot having such a pleasing voice. That was when she heard B-0n sounding both confused and frightened in her ear, “Is that..? LX, turn on noise cancellation before she gets-” Before LX could receive that final part of the message, an exceptionally large Maverick swam past her and jammed her coms with an opposing signal. They were fishlike, yes, but also surprisingly pony-like. And those pipes! Whew! This fish knew what she was doing with a mic. For what it was worth, LX clapped at that performance, “Not bad! Pray tell, what was the song about?” The Maverick sneered as they drew in closer, teeth bared as a microphone like lure hung between the two, “I sing an elegy for your death, pony.” LX quipped, “I suppose the next song would be a Paean for your victory?” Looking her up and down, the orange and purple robotic siren took note of the harp on LX’s breastplate and asks, “By chance, are you a musician?” She smiled in response, bravely staring down the Maverick, “Indeed I am. I play the harp and lyre. I also sing on occasion. Care for a voice sample, or shall we skip straight to a duet?” The other laughed, “Ha! It has been ages since I last met a pony to offer a musical challenge. Very well, I shall indulge you, for this is the last stage you will ever perform on!” LX offered a hoof in challenge, “I have no plans on dying today. Still, this shall be a duet to die for…” The siren gently shook the offered hoof and gestured for LX to follow her, “Do not disappoint me, Pony.” “Please, call me Lyra. I want you to know the name of the pony that beat you.” Once again, the Maverick laughed as they opened up a compartment leading into some structure built into the lakebed, “Very well Lyra. Adagio will not forget your bravado when you are gone.” Within, LX saw a stage fit for the best performers in Las Pegasus. A perfect battleground between the two. Taking one last look at her HUD, she turned off all distractions so she could focus solely on this battle. Adopting a combative stance, the two could have their duel of bodies and voices. The spotlight was on the two as their song of words and buster fire rang out from deep under the lake. It started off slow, a prelude of the fighting to come. It started with veiled insults and jeers. It started with them sizing each other up before they really got going. Despite them singing about two different topics, they couldn't be any more connected. LX sang of the hope she feels, the hope she has seen in this world thus far, and Adagio retorts by chastising her. Adagio sang of despair, of the loss of life. She sang of tragedy, of what was lost when the Mavericks rose to power. At first, LX thought it would be solely about pony lives lost, how weak and futile her struggles would be, but that was not what she got. No, what she got was a tale of Adagio and her sisters fighting battles they barely understood. Reploid against Maverick, while ponies sat back on the sidelines and let sister fight sister. Adagio sang of a paradise lost, and LX replied that it can be that way again. She wasn't sure when it had happened, or what was going on with the Mavericks, but she felt true heartache from the machine. What was orginally a verbal beatdown quickly shifted gears to an uplifting song about pushing through tragedy and finding peace and friendship again, but... Tragic is how it would remain, as LX had cut short the Siren’s next verse before it began. This song forever has no end… When all was said and done, LX stood victorious, but shaken. Bouncing sound projectiles, tackle mines, Adagio’s deadly dance beside her, and that dang life sucking harpoon, it all took its toll upon her. But in the end LX stuck to her busters and won, but was that really necessary? Adagio didn't give off the killer robot vibe that C.A.D.A.N.C.E. had, she was more that of a lost soul fighting just because that was all they had left. She shakily wandered over to Adagio’s fallen form, shoving a fallen rock off the siren’s face. The robot’s visor was broken, revealing the robot’s pink optical sensors. They were glowing faintly, but the spark they used to have seemed to be dying. They smiled, “Not bad Pony. No… Lyra.” LX never expected to feel sorry for a Maverick, but in the end she did so. Seeing a fellow musician laid out like this after a performance was disheartening, especially knowing she was the one who did this to her. Taking the Siren’s hoof, she said, “Hey, save your breath. That was an amazing performance, Adagio." Adagio let out a pained chuckle as she withdrew her hoof from LX’s grasp, “This is my final curtain call. No need to pity this washed up singer. Take my Mic… This stage is yours now. Give B-0n my regards. I know she heard us.” The Siren yanked off her own microphone lure and gently handed it off to LX with a weak smile, “My sister’s would have liked you. You would have been a good fr-” That was it… Adagio’s dying words as the lights in her eyes literally faded away. LX felt sick to her stomach. She pondered many questions greatly as she held the microphone tightly. What is a Maverick? Before, she assumed it was faulty programming leading to killer tendencies, but Adagio showed her that there are more factors to what makes a Maverick. Will she encounter more like her? Will all Mavericks end up like this at her hooves? LX made her way up through this stage and into the dome above. It was a simple matter of turning the thing on to distribute clean water in the lake and Equestria in general. Water is restored! Next came the purifying crystal. Another simple matter… She was kind of going through the motions as her thoughts kept returning to the lifeless heap that was Adagio, even as she went back to HQ. Lyra smiled and waved at Twilight strongly, but on the inside she was crying. Twilight mad a bit of an odd request to examine the microphone for a bit, something Lyra reluctantly allowed her to do. It felt hard to give away a gift from a dying mare. But they were a maverick, and enemy, weren't they? Those eyes... Those were not the eyes of a killer. She went outside the brood, to think, something B-0n noticed whie Twilight was obliviously examining the weapon. B-0n followed her outside and asked, “What is bothering you?” Lyra pulled off her helmet gently and let her drenched mane down. Brushing it out of her face, she state, “Adagio… Who was she? She seemed... Different.” B-0n seemed surprised by this query, “You actually got her to speak?” She was silent for a few moments as the sun set, but in the twilight she spoke, “Adagio and her sisters were stage performers before the Maverick outbreaks started. Humble lake guardians singing part time for charity that became full blown entertainers. When the outbreaks started, they used their singing talents to keep up morale among the Maverick hunters.” “What happened to her sisters?” B-0n once again was silent before admitting, “I decommissioned them. They were among the first of us Hunters who went Maverick, turning inspiring sonnets into painful roasts. Adagio got away… I left her to suffer in silence beneath the lake.” Frowning, Lyra would reach out and place a hoof on B-0n shoulder and say, “I am sure you did what you could. In the end, she said no hard feelings.” “Feelings were always hard…” With that said, B-0n got up and left, leaving Lyra to think about what life must have been for the last Maverick Hunter. What life means to her now...