Full Mission Roll:
Protect the Drilldozer [1 Refuel], 25 Hollomite, Haz 2, Radioactive Exclusion Zone
Warning: N/A, Anomaly: N/A
Machine Event: N/A
Encounters: Lost Pack, Huuli Hoarder
Extra Resources: Compressed Gold x1
Mission Special Beer: Pots O' Gold
Roll System in Final Phase
“Alright, girls, I’m gonna recap the plan,” Twilight said over comms as the Drop Pod descended into the Radioactive Exclusion Zone. “You’re going in to retrieve an Ommoran Heartstone. We’re getting you as close as we can, which means you should only need to refuel the Drilldozer once. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get you a second team to go in with you. Sunset, don’t touch it. Have someone else handle it. Other than that, if you all could grab some Hollomite while you’re down there, Management won’t consider this mission a complete waste. Questions?”
“Whaddya mean, ‘a complete waste’?” Rainbow asked. “What’s going on?”
“We’re going to keep the Heartstone after retrieval,” Sunset explained for the fourth time. “After we return to the Rig, I’m going to try to use my magic on it. That means we could very well taint the Heartstone in some unknown way, which makes it unsellable. We still get paid for the mission, but Management might see it as an overall loss.”
“What’s the goal?”
“We’re hoping we can find out how Hoxxes interacts with Equestrian magic.”
Applejack shifted in her seat. “Sounds good to me!”
The doors slid open, and the gray wasteland of the REZ appeared. A few active crystals glowed in the distance, but the vast majority of crystals were dull, having depleted their supplies of radioactive materials. Particles of dust and fallout drifted through the air, held aloft solely by heat convection and the influx of solar radiation that sterilized everything for kilometers below Hoxxes’ tidally locked surface. As before, it was a sad, dead place to be.
“Alright, let’s get this over with,” Rainbow muttered. “I hate detoxing.”
Applejack didn’t have a problem with the REZ, but she admitted it could use some more life. Of all the biomes on Hoxxes, it was the most hostile to life in general. At least the fiery Magma Core, arguably the most dangerous biome, had flora (even if it did explode).
As usual, the Drop Pod ascended to provide relay coverage after letting them out and deploying Molly. It was replaced a minute later by the protective cage that surrounded their ride to the Ommoran Heartstone. The Drilldozer’s chirping, cheerful head spun around and beeped a greeting as Rarity released the clamps to open the cage.
“Aren’t you just adorable, Doretta?” Rarity cooed as she patted the Drilldozer. “We’re bringing you back when we’re done.”
“Uh, Rarity,” Applejack said, “can we worry about the Heartstone first?”
“Yes, I know.”
Sunset started up the machine, and the girls sat on Doretta’s track covers as she rumbled her way through the caves and drilled through the rock. The first swarm of the day was easy--just a bunch of Swarmers that Rainbow seemed to take great pleasure in destroying. Eventually, though, Doretta stopped as her tanks ran dry.
“The Drilldozer has stopped!” Twilight reported through the comms. “Refuel the canisters, and let’s get this show back on the road!”
Sunset grappled into the darkness and fired her flares, shining light across the tall, narrow cavern where they’d stopped. Rarity built herself a staircase of platform goop, and Rainbow set up on a zipline overlooking the cave. Applejack didn’t take one of the canisters, instead going after the purple glint of Hollomite she spotted in the corner of her eye.
Rarity and Sunset handled the refueling, running up to laser-mine shale and dropping the two full canisters down to the bottom. Applejack caught one, but the other hit the ground with a thunk. Luckily, it didn’t break on impact, and she inserted it into the remaining slot.
“Alright, the Drilldozer is refueled!” Twilight announced. “Start her back up, and let’s move.”
Rainbow came down from her zipline. As Rarity held the start button, they all heard the unfortunately familiar roar of a Bulk Detonator. Doretta perked up, and she began moving again.
“Uh, you guys heard that, right?” Rainbow asked.
Applejack checked her pistol to make sure it was fully loaded. “Ah did.”
“If it gets too close, we can scatter,” Rarity said. “I’ve asked around, and it appears that Bulk Detonators don’t target Doretta.”
The cloud of fiery particles appeared back the way they’d come, and the beast crawled out of the rock with a growling roar. Rainbow let loose a hailstorm of bullets, Rarity lobbed grenades, and Sunset focused on its tumorous weakpoints. Applejack stayed back and used her pistol to help Sunset, but other than that was occupied with protecting Doretta from the other denizens of Hoxxes. She torched bugs left and right with the occasional shotgun blast from Rarity.
She heard a resounding boom and looked back. The Detonator was gone, replaced by a massive hole, and Sunset and Rainbow cheered.
“Looks like it’s getting easier,” she commented as Rarity climbed onto Doretta.
“Very much so, yes. I think we’re finally coming together as a team.”
Doretta broke through a final wall and meandered her way to the Ommoran Heartstone. Its four-layered shell and curved spikes made it an imposing sight in the large room where it sat, and the floor around it glimmered in the light of their flares.
Rarity called in a resupply while Sunset explored the cave. There was a screeching cry and the sounds of Sunset’s rifle for a few seconds, and then silence.
“Damn!” Sunset said over the radio. “ID said it was a Huuli Hoarder. I didn’t think it was going to run away like that.”
“We’ll have to remember that for next time,” Rarity replied. “Are you done exploring? I’d like to get back to the Rig as soon as possible.”
“Yeah, almost.” Sunset returned a few minutes later and emptied her mineral bag into Molly. “Saw a bit of Nitra and Hollomite.”
“Looks good,” Twilight said. “Secondary objective completed. Start the drill whenever you’re ready, and let’s extract that Heartstone!”
Rainbow started the drill, and the first wave began. Applejack torched until she could torch no more, and Rarity covered her as she loaded a new fuel can. Sunset’s shotgun barked twice in rapid succession, and two bugs flew away from her. Grenades exploded. Rarity’s L.U.R.E. appeared with an image of Twilight laughing maniacally.
The first shell cracked open, and boulders lifted from the ground to smash into Doretta. Rainbow switched from the bugs to the rocks while Applejack covered her back with a few well-aimed throwing axes and a burst of flame. Two rocks slipped through their defense, however, and blasted Rainbow off the top of the Drilldozer as they hit.
Rarity hastily made repairs, and Sunset fired at the rocks to give Rainbow enough time to get back. Applejack pickaxed a Grunt and whirled around to smack another with the end of her flamethrower before it could leap at the machine.
The second shell cracked, and the boulders were replaced by another onslaught of Glyphids. This time, dozens of Exploders joined the rush, and Rarity was forced to blast a large group with her grenade launcher before it came too close. Applejack refueled and torched the newcomers. Despite all their work, however, enough Exploders slipped by to blast a section of Doretta’s tracks.
“The Drilldozer has taken permanent damage!” Twilight reported. “Keep it safe, or this whole thing is a bust!”
Praetorians crawled out of the darkness and received hails of bullets and several slowing grenades from Sunset. One of them gurgled and collapsed, and Applejack sent a bit of flame into its death cloud. The gas caught fire immediately, killing some nearby Glyphids and heavily injuring its neighboring Praetorians.
The third shell cracked. Spikes sprouted from the ground and began to fire lasers directly into Doretta’s main body. Applejack clicked her drill arms into place and attacked one of the spikes. The other broke as Sunset slammed it with her pickaxe.
Two more sets of spikes sprouted before the fourth and final shell cracked, revealing the Ommoran Heartstone inside. Doretta retreated a few feet and shut down. Smoke billowed from her vents, and both her tracks looked worse for wear.
“That was much closer than it should’ve been,” Rarity breathed. She climbed the machine and pulled Doretta’s head from the body. “Let’s bring you back now.”
Applejack approached the Heartstone. It seemed to call her name, somehow, like it was magic. Perhaps that’s why they needed it to locate Fluttershy. She strapped it to Molly and called in the Drop Pod.
Extraction went well. Everyone boarded without much trouble, Molly docked fine, and Rarity was able to bring the Drilldozer head back to orbit.