Full Mission Roll:
7 Aquarqs, 20 Boolo Caps, Haz 3, Fungus Bogs
Warning: N/A, Anomaly: Mineral Mania
Machine Event: N/A
Encounters: Cargo Crate
Extra Resources: Compressed Gold x1
Roll System in Phase 3
Applejack locked her drills on their rack before leaving the Drop Pod. As usual, she was second, with Rainbow Dash practically leaping down the boarding ramp and Rarity and Sunset more carefully putting their equipment in its racks.
“Come on, AJ,” Rainbow said. “We’ve got time for another mission today, don’t we?”
“Technically, we do,” Rarity confirmed, “but only if we stay up through the night. The earliest we’d be done is midnight, and we’d return by two in the morning.”
Sunset sighed. “Not today, girls. We should really only do one mission per day. If we push ourselves too hard, we’ll fail again. That’s a scenario I’d rather not repeat.”
Applejack agreed. Combat Recovery was still recovering from the disastrous mission that left Fluttershy behind, so any team that came for them would be from a different station. Pushing themselves would only make things worse.
She shook her head clear. Now was not the time to punish herself. She had a job to do.
The next morning, Applejack found Rarity at the hologram console in the center of their shared work area. The girl twirled her hair around her fingers, then suddenly flipped her head back and tied it into a tail. She looked up and sighed.
“Our assignment mission is a Point Extraction with Boolo Caps today,” she said. “I’ll set it to Haz 3 if you don’t mind.”
“Fungus Bogs,” Applejack read from the console. “Ready?”
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“Our scanners have picked up a massive deposit of Aquarq,” Mission Control reported as the Drop Pod neared their target cave. “We’re sending in you along with a heavily armed lifter to get as many out as possible. Scanners also detect an abnormally high number of biosigns in the area, so expect heavy resistance and make it snappy! Search for a blue shimmering light in the walls. Get it done, Team!”
The pod crashed to the floor, and Applejack jogged down the ramp after Rainbow. She smelled the humid murk of the Bogs and immediately felt sweat running down her sides. This place was disgustingly swampy--just as she remembered it. The greenish murk extended far into the darkness around, broken only by damp outcroppings of spongy rock.
A flare fired from behind her and soared for several seconds until it impacted the ceiling high above. It illuminated a large chunk of the cave, but Applejack could see that Sunset’s entire reserve wouldn’t be enough to light the whole thing.
Sunset whistled in amazement.
A few seconds after the Drop Pod flew back to the surface, a large warning-yellow machine drilled through the rock and landed nearby, sending shudders that almost made Applejack lose her balance. It unfolded into a large platform with two spotlights, three swiveling gun turrets and a pointy rocket in the center.
“That’s the Mine Head,” Rarity said. “It’ll take the place of the M.U.L.E. for this mission. If you’re full of minerals or carrying an Aquarq, dump into the rocket.”
“Mission Control said to look for a blue shimmer,” Sunset said. “I see one on the far end of the cave, over there.” She pointed to a large light blue glow beyond where the Drop Pod had landed. “There’s another in the rock near the Mine Head. i’ll go look for more.” With that, she ran into the darkness, firing the occasional flare as she went.
Applejack shrugged and walked over to where Sunset had indicated the light near the Mine Head. With a click of her drills, she burrowed through the rock, and a large blue crystal popped out. She picked it up. It was heavy, and she grunted as she carried it out of the hole she’d dug.
“I’ll take that,” Rarity said from the grated platform around the Mine Head’s rocket. “You look for Nitra and more Aquarqs. Rainbow Dash is already--”
“IT’S GOT ME!” Rainbow screamed. “HEEEEELP!”
Applejack dropped the Aquarq and ran into the darkening cave, looking for her friend. She threw a flare as far as she could, but it didn’t go high enough to see anything.
“I’m right above you! Ow!”
Before Applejack could look up, Rainbow Dash fell on top of her, knocked out cold. She began to revive her, but a tentacle grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. Others began pricking at her armor, quickly breaking its shields and digging through its health.
Sunset’s rifle barked from somewhere to her right, and the tentacle lowered her before exploding. Bits of goop rained down around her as she caught her breath.
“Thanks for finding the Leech, guys,” Sunset called. “I found a ton of Nitra all over the walls up here, but I’ll need platforms to get it.”
“I’m coming,” Rarity called back as she dumped revival juice onto Rainbow Dash. moments later, she shook her head and sighed.
“Ow,” Rainbow groaned.
“Be careful next time,” Rarity admonished. “Can you set up a zipline to where Sunset is? I’ll point it out for you.”
Rainbow picked herself off the ground. “Yeah, sure. Gimme a second.” She pulled out her zipline launcher and fired to where Rarity’s laser pointed.
Rarity latched herself to the zipline and began winching herself up its length. “Thank you, dear. Now stay on your guard. I don’t want to have to rescue you from another Leech.”
“Yes, Mom,” Rainbow said. When Rarity was gone, she exhaled. “I swear, she’s got a burr up her--”
“The scanner just lit up like a Christmas tree!” Mission Control reported. “We’ve got a swarm incoming!”
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Rainbow yelled. “Can’t anything go our way right now?”
“Just be glad we’re not goners yet,” Applejack said. “Come on! The Mine Head should be a good place to hold out.”
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The rest of the mission went similarly to the first several minutes. They would find a couple Aquarqs, dig them out of the dark songy rock, and then deal with an increasing number of bugs that threatened to overwhelm them. Every resupply cost them a large chunk of their dwindling Nitra supply.
Eventually, Mission Control reported that they were good to go. Just as Rarity was pressing the launch button, however, he called out, “Confirmed scan: Glyphid Dreadnought on intercept course. Get ready, Team.”
“A WHAT?” Sunset screamed.
Applejack felt a chill down her spine as the rock suddenly burst upward and a massive bug--the biggest non-exploding Glyphid she’d ever seen--crawl out of the hole. It turned toward them and roared.
Rarity was the first to turn. “Run for it!” she yelled, and she bolted to the other end of the cave as fast as she could.
Rainbow and Sunset both split from the group as well, running in opposite directions to put as much space between them and the Dreadnought as possible. It roared again and sent tremors through the ground.
Applejack needed no further encouragement. She turned and ran as the Mine Head’s turrets opened fire on the beast. A fireball arced over her head and splattered on the ground, making a crater where it landed.
“Drop Pod has landed and is waiting for takeoff,” Mission Control reported.
Part of the cave lit up with the Drop Pod’s searchlights, and its ramp extended down to meet them. Around them, the screeches of hungry Glyphids echoed off the walls.
“Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Run to the pod!” Rarity ordered. “Sunset, distract it and meet us there!”
Sunset’s rifle barked, and a flare flew into the ceiling. Applejack ignored her aching legs and urged herself to run faster. She clambered up a small ledge and pounded her feet into the ground as she reached the ramp. Turning around, she torched a large group of bugs just as Rainbow Dash reached the ramp, followed by Rarity.
“Sunset, we’re in!” Rarity yelled. “Time’s running out!”
Moments later, Sunset grappled through the open doorway just as the clock ran out and the doors began to close. She collapsed to the floor, exhausted. Her chest heaved with each breath.
Applejack sighed in relief as the Drop Pod began its ascent and the door closed to block the onslaught of bugs and roaring Dreadnought outside. She sat in her designated seat and stared into space for a moment. They were that close to another failure. One misstep would have been the end of somebody.
If Point Extractions were this chaotic, what did the missions they’d still yet to try have to offer?