//------------------------------// // 13, first day on the job // Story: THE IMPOSTER AMONG US // by FIM Fiction //------------------------------// Cold I know I have heaters back online, but I feel colder than I ever have. I saw a flashlight and my reflection. Either there's something wrong with the flashlight, the mirror or me. I felt so cold. Why did my reflection look like that? *BIOTREE ROOM Twilight finally made her way to the bio tree room, where she saw an orange crewmate with a hazmat suit and gas mask looking at a screen. At their side was a robot. "Excuse me, are you Brian?" Twilight asked. The crewmate nodded, not turning around. "I was sent to you about suit repairs. Or rather about Shotgun." "Alrighty then HOLY MOTHER OF LUCIFER!" Brian turned around before looking in shock. He then took a few breaths, calming down. "Sorry. For a second I thought you were an Imp." "A what?" Twilight asked. "Nevermind." Brain said with a wave of his hand. "Anywho, I am Brain, and this is my droid Queber. With a Q U E, not C U. I'm the radiation expert!" He held out his hand. "And you?" "Tiltserk, or Twilight." Twilight answered, raising a hoof to shake Brian's hand. The two shook. "So, you want suit repairs, but came to me?" Brian said, ending the shake. "Well, I was told that-" "Duck." Brian pulled Twilight down as a knife entered the wall. He straitened back up. "Continue please." "I..." "That happens often. I honestly think it isn't even meant to be threatening at this. Why, we haven't had a death in 5 whole months. Twilight stared at the knife. "The fact that's normal shouldn't be normal at all!" Brian waved his hand. "It's not important." "You and I know darn well it is." a voice called out. Twilight turned around. Before her was a red cremate with a Polus Explorer suit and a Miner hat. In his hands was a shotgun. "What is it with everyone being so silent!?" Twilight asked. The crewmate raised a finger, before lowering it. "You're asking the right questions, miss." He slung the shotgun on his back. "Name's Shotgun." He seemed to frown. "Yeesh, who tried stabbing you?" he asked with a voice of concern. "That's not important." Twilight quickly said. "...Yeah, and I'm Saint Nick." Shotgun said. "I don't know who that is." Twilight shook her head. "I was told you repair the suits?" "Indeed I do." Shotgun replied. "Follow me." *KITCHEN Chef Cheff hummed to herself as she chopped up carrots. "Smile smile smile." she sang under her breath. "Makes it while to see everypony smile." She threw the whole cutting board into a massive pot, before yanking it out. "What's that song you're singing, Dame cuisinière?" Jachion asked, leaning over the counter. "I... I am not sure." Chef Cheff said. "I just remember it, though I've never heard it." "Ah, a song from your mère? Er- from your mother." "Never had one. Unless you account for a cloning machine." Cheff replied. "Ah! So, how often do you converse with the original?" Jachion asked. Cheff raised her knife, before bringing it heavily on a lob of meat. "I don't think I have one." "Ah, but a Pink clone was made less than two days ago. Which means your original is alive and healthy!" Cheff rinsed the blade, before sticking it back into her head. "I've never seen them." "Well, then she is hiding somewhere. Why she would hide, I do not know. Your ship is empty of all but space crew." Jacho chopped up a pile of tomatoes. "All the clone crew..." Cheff wrinkled her nose. She had a feeling something was up, but she wasn't sure. All she knew, was it was probably bad. *OUTSIDE, NEXT TO LAVA READER "Howdy Cozy Glow!" Big Mac said, walking up to the child. "I really wanna thank ya for helpin save mah life." "Oh, it was no problem, daddy!" Cozy Glow said. "Heh. I ain't yer daddy. I ain't even yer species." Cozy glow's blood ran cold, yet she held her grin. "Oh, really?" she giggled. "Ah can see dat fear in yer eyes." Big Mac bent down, folding up Cozy Glow's helmet. "I preferred the fury." he whispered. "And really, even though it was a big misunderstanding, I am happy to be alive." A long, black tongue slid out, licking Cozy Glow's lips, before it pulled back into the creature's mouth. "Be seein ya round then." Cozy Glow watched the Imposter walk off. "No!" She hung her head in defeat. "No..." Zemlinder walked back to Cozy Glow. "Will the child cry?" he asked, bending down. Indeed, Cozy Glow had began to softly cry. "Allow me to tell you what you are." "Once upon a time, there was a mighty princess who ruled the lands. Then, the sun exploded. Equus was dying. Flim and Flam tried so hard to try to save all, yet all plans failed. Then came the Company, offering to save all of Equus. In return, they asked Equus to help them with some projects." Zemlinder sat down. "And now, I explain. The company blew up your star, and offered jobs. those of your planet didn't have a choice, so hey! Free Laborers. Your statue was brought along, you broke out, tried to kill, blah blah blah..." "Her majesty and an alien called "The Doctor" set up a rebellion against the dictators. Actually, they're the only ones left alive by now. So they made a paradox machine and sent messages back in time to their selves. So, time A and time B. Company B sees this and causes the sun to blow up earlier. Company A and B capture Cozy Glow A, and give you her memories, making an innocent child killer. Not every paradox comes through clearly, and the universe doesn't know how to show it. And so you get your little shadow monsters. With me so far?" Cozy Glow softly nodded. "One las thing. I killed ABM and APJK." Cozy Glow let out a loud sob, before quieting. She then softly started to laugh, before breaking out into hysterics. Zemlinder backed away. "Why are you laughing?" "Because now I see what I gotta do! I know how to save EVERYPONY!" She grabbed Zemlinder, and with a strength belaying her size, threw him down into the lava. "Heh. Heh heh. Ha ha ha ha. HA HA HA HA HA HA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" "AHHHHHHHH!!!" Zemlinder bounced off the rocky cliffside as he fell into the scolding lava. He hit the burning liquid, letting out a screech that could be heard across the entire campass, right down to the colonization towns. A claw of burnt flesh pulled a crisp body onto a rock barley above the lava level. Then, it stopped moving, stopped screaming. Cozy Glow heard people approaching, and took off running. She needed an explosion or the energy. But it needed to be big. REEAAL big.