//------------------------------// // Chapter Fourteen: Reckoning // Story: We don't go to Sub-Level Five // by RadBunny //------------------------------// Twilight trotted down the halls, aiming towards where Flask was currently residing. There were some questions that she had, especially regarding the explosion on the newest summary she had been given by the analysts. The data was comprehensive. Something had gone wrong more than a week ago, and then a few days later, a massive systems failure. What remained unclear was why things had failed. She had barely been able to scratch the surface of what the Stairway company was doing with their horrors, but they seemed competent. That was almost worse, an evil entity that wasn’t blundering around but covered their tracks well. Stars above, they had eluded detection for decades if not longer. They weren’t slouches by any means. So why did things go wrong now? The data she had looked at indicated massive failures within the past two weeks. The guards nodded to Twilight, the Princess knocking on the door. “Yes? Come in.” Ducking under the door slightly, Twilight’s heart was pricked with sympathy at seeing Flask pacing, a hard copy of the data-mined files spread out on a nearby table. Flask paused, the older pony sitting down and bowing his head respectfully. “Princess, what can I do for you?” Twilight let out a hum, walking over to gesture to the files. “You, Flask Heat, can help me clarify a few things,” she said, waving to the guards to leave them be. As the door closed, she looked over at the pony, brow furrowing in thought. “Anything.” “Anything?” Twilight repeated an eyebrow raising, “that’s a wide-spanning answer. But as of now, I haven’t asked this question of you.” That caused the earth pony to look at her curiously. “In the reports a little over a week ago, there is a mentioning of a computer virus. Shortly after that, a magical surge paralyzed sections of the company,” Twilight recited. She had already committed quite a bit of the report to memory. “A few days after that, there was a complete failure of the security systems. In fact, the data seems to be almost live-streamed to a device up unto the point where the lockdown initiated and the emergency teleportation systems activated.” Flask winced at that. “I was going to bring it up earlier, but I feel now is the time to address this. What role have you played in all of this, Flask Heat? This data is almost a complete record of the past twenty years up to the exact hour of the lockdown, and your name is on a significant number of the files, including a few administrative ones. Speaking of which, were you ever on the Board of Directors?” Flask averted his gaze, his shoulders slumping. To Twilights shock, the older stallion took a shaky breath, eyes watering. “Princess, I am not a good pony,” he said softly, “I worked at this company for over three decades, and was on the Board for a time before I resigned that position more than twenty years ago. I am just as guilty as many of the individuals to be charged in this case, and to that end, I will welcome any sentencing. My life is not a priority. All that is different for me from the owners is I have a greater stake in it than they do.” “Flask, you need to explain that to me. What are you talking about?” Twilight asked. “And just Twilight will do.” “I have hurt creatures, Twilight,” Flask whispered, the pony not able to look at her. “Hundreds, thousands, maybe more. I helped design experiments that caused untold pain and suffering beyond what you can imagine, all in the name of progress. I should be in a cell right now in the deepest, darkest pit you have. I would hope that is my fate just to ease my conscience.” “I never thought you were wholly innocent, Flask,” Twilight replied softly, “the files you gave me are implication enough. However, you still gave them over to us. That is why I am confident you won’t try to escape. So, what changed? Why expose them now? If you’ve worked for them for so long…?” The earth pony glanced over to her, head shaking back and forth. “Twilight, I didn’t just expose them,” he explained, “I made sure that the company would never recover.” His voice then shifted to a growl, “I wasn’t about to let them get away with this! When I realized the horrors of what I was doing, what I was letting happen; it was too much.” The Princess had a fair idea of where this was going, but she stayed silent. “I couldn’t live with it. It started as small things, but eventually, I couldn’t look her in the eyes, knowing the evil I had done,” Flask whispered, “So I had to do something. The catalyst was having my petition denied, my effort to give her a normal life,” Flask said softly, “they were going to kill her. I don’t know when, but I saw the secret emails. I would not let that happen.” “Flask, did you cause the company’s systems to crash?” Twilight asked. What she didn’t expect was a firm nod, anger flashing in Flask’s eyes. “I did. I have a Ph.D. in computer programming among other things; I helped write many of the systems,” he said almost proudly. “I had some help, but we hit them in three stages. But it went a lot further than I thought it would. It went s-so much further! Even more creatures died because of me.” His eyes widened, the pony starting to crumple to the floor as tears flooded his eyes. “I didn’t know about the adaptive A.I!” he cried, “The floors were wired with explosives, I didn’t know! I wanted to lock the system down, cause chaos and cripple the facility. The employees would mostly escape, but the evidence would be intact; I didn’t want to destroy it! W-with the A.I, the lockdown going so far beyond what I realized I m-might have killed her! She might be dead, the entire reason I even risked all of this! I c-couldn’t even give her the escape map! I m-might have killed…” “Who, Flask?” Walking over to retrieve a picture from a worn saddlebag, Flask hoofed it over to the Twilight. The mare’s expression softened on seeing a laughing Thestral filly eating ice cream with a much-younger Flask, lab coat stained with various sweets. “My daughter,” Flask said softly, wiping his eyes even as more tears flooded down his cheeks, sobs starting to wrack his frame. “I just wanted to give her a chance to escape. To try and show her that I’m not a complete monster.” Sassi stared at the envelope in her hooves, a large USB drive having fallen out. It wasn’t the drive that had her focus, however, but the letter that accompanied it. It was in the newest piece of snail-mail of the incoming box. She just hadn’t looked through it until now. It had seemed so unimportant with everything else. The letter was the last in line, placed by somepony just before everything hit the fan. ‘To my dearest daughter. If my plan goes off without a hitch, you should have received the escape map of how you can get out of this accursed place through Silo 2 or 3. With the chaos the shutdown causes, you should be able to slip out during your normal shift. I intended this to be short, but your father likes to ramble, as you know. Before all else, and if nothing else, I am so, so sorry, for everything. I hope what I have done will make up for it. I tried to make them listen, little mango, I really did. But they refused, they threatened me, but more so you. I’ve realized they would never let you go; they saw you as a threat…so I had to act. If the Board and Owners would not give you a chance at life, then I would force them to. I have made countless mistakes in my life, many of which you have come to understand as you’ve grown up…and grown away from me as a result. I don’t blame you for that. I’ve always loved you, even when you’ve grown to hate the pony you thought was spotless. When you realized your father was just as guilty as the current administration. I won’t let this company stand any longer. You deserve a life they refuse to give you, and a life I am powerless to provide. What I can do, what I and a friend have done…is give you a chance. There are containers at dead-drop side A-2-42 and A-2-43 including new IDs, currency, and additional supplies. If I’m successful, I’ll be alive and in royal custody. Only contact me once this company is burned to a crisp by the media and the Princess. If I am not alive, or if things went wrong, I have a backup plan. As of this writing, I don’t know who I am going to give the code to. Even if I did know, I dare not reveal them in case this is intercepted. If I fail, the pony I choose will do the right thing with this USB key, which I entrust for you to give to them. It has a detailed record of every horrific thing this company has done, a backup of what I have taken with me in case I fail. This drive goes back decades; far before I was even hired. I will trust it with a pony I know will do the right thing, even if it may cost them dearly. I am not just trusting them just with this key. I am trusting that they will help you escape. They will be a good pony who you can trust. I would not give this key and code to any creature lightly. You’ll know who they are. The code I gave them is our family password, a zero at the front and end, just like before. That code will also open every door for you, every system unlocked. I hope between their help and this code, you can finally escape this wretched place and have the life you have dreamed of. There should be a map with the files as well. The code, our password, the one that I hard-wired into the system is the day I truly started to live life, the day I realized that I could be a better pony. I hope that it will be enough to finally give you what you’ve always deserved, but what I could never accomplish. I love you, my little mango. The only regret I have is that I wasn’t able to be the good pony you thought I was, that I couldn’t give you the life you deserved outside these concrete walls. I’ve tried my hardest ever since that day…and maybe now I can, for a brief moment, come close to being the father you always deserved. Love, Your dad. Tears began to trickle down the armored mare’s cheeks, the Thestral reading the letter three times before hugging it close. “I n-never hated you,” she whispered. After a few moments, a fire ignited behind Sassi’s violet gaze, the mare strapping on her saddle-guns. “Time to get some answer, Astral,” she said softly, “if Flask trusted you, then you’re a good pony. You just need to explain a few things first. He knew you much longer than I did. I still need to hear the truth out of your own mouth.” There was one thing that made the mare’s expression soften before she left, her hooves briefly pulling up a single news article tagged with a blurry photograph. She had barely glanced at it before, but now it made a bit more sense. “Photo of Guard Trainees responding to a horrifying building collapse in lower Fillydelphia during the early hours of the morning. Hundreds were injured and trapped beneath the rubble. Without their timely intervention, many more lives would have been lost.” In the act of reaching down to pull a terrified pony from the rubble, a familiar Thestral hung onto a rope with the other hoof, bright green eyes seeming ablaze in the dusty, dark atmosphere. Who are you, Astral Sentinel? “Sassi?” Astral asked, the armored mare walking in and looking at him. The no-nonsense demeanor immediately put him on edge. “Astral. We have to talk about a few things,” she said in that professional, clipped tone that made the stallion feel abruptly very, very exposed. “Ok? Um, what’s up?” His attempt to light the mood was brushed off, Sassi gesturing to the couch, where Astral promptly took the hint and sat down. He did notice that her saddle-guns weren’t quite trained on him. “I’m going to make this as plain as possible,” she said calmly, “Flask trusted you a lot more than I do. And I want to know why.” “I’m…not entirely sure what you mean, but I’ll try to explain,” Astral said with a furrowed brow, then gesturing to the calendar. “After I answer your questions, I have one for you.” “Oh?” “I want to know why your birthday is the same date as the code Flask gave me.” The question clearly caught Sassi off guard, the mare’s eyes widening in surprise. “Fair enough. You’re a lot sharper than I gave you credit. Alright. You answer my question, I’ll answer some of yours,” she said, still clearly on guard for a reason Astral wasn’t sure of. “Well, what can I explain? Flask is the one who hired me, and we’ve been friends ever since,” Astral said calmly, the mare staring at him. “He gave me the code and that’s it.” “That’s what I don’t get,” she said calmly, eyes now gaining a razor-sharp sheen. “What type of connections do you have with ponies? Politicians? Financial investors?” “I don’t follow,” Astral said, clearly confused. “Two counts of attempted murder, one count of sexual assault, and one count of drug trafficking and potential use,” Sassi rattled off, “to get those expunged from a military court you need some high-up friends. I want to know who those friends are, and if they are connected to this company.” Astral stared at her in shock, the stallion utterly speechless for a moment. In a move that genuinely surprised Sassi, he hung his head and shook it back and forth. “I can’t escape it, can I?” he whispered to himself, “it was supposed to be erased. That was the deal.” “So, you did make a deal? Who exactly are you, Astral Sentinel?” Sassi found herself taken aback as she saw anger flare-up in the stallion’s eyes, the pony looking up at her. Interestingly, there wasn’t any fear. “I’m just a pony who doesn’t know when to mind his own business, apparently,” he said flatly. “Before I explain, will you believe what I tell you? It’s clear you already have made up part of your mind.” “I’ll take it under heavy consideration,” Sassi said bluntly, “Flask trusted you, and I know he’s a decent enough pony.” “I doubt Flask knew about these specific records,” Astral huffed, sitting up straight. “Fine. Those charges were leveled at me in response to me stopping an assault concerning other trainees. Their parents moved faster than I did, were more powerful than I imagined, they got the first legal record in.” Sassi sat down, waving a hoof at him. “Ok, so what exactly happened?” Astral’s eyes dropped, the Thestral’s demeanor becoming a bit darker. “I don’t like thinking about it. But if it will put you at ease…” he muttered, then sitting back up. “The short version? I was in the wrong place at the right time. Two other trainees were wanting to have their way with a mare; she asked for help and I hurt them, badly. Their parents had more connections than I realized, so they tried to charge me for hurting their precious children saying I was the aggressor,” Astral stated, the last few words more of a growl than anything. “And the drug charges?” “Planted evidence in my locker after I refused to sweep things under the rug, and I was absolutely going to push on with the case. The drugs made the case complicated due to media coverage. In short, it worked. The judge advised me to cut and run before the parents got even crazier with their connections and helped broker a deal. Unfortunately, the media moves faster than all else. The charges against me were front-page news across the city, while my eventually-proved innocence was a single paragraph on a tabloid.” For the first time since Astral had met Sassi, she was at a loss for words. To that end, the guns now pointed to the floor, the mare sitting down on the other couch with a slump. “Ok, I wasn’t expecting that,” she muttered, “Perhaps you can understand why I was so suspicious, but I’d like to know the long version as well.” He let out a sigh at that, nodding reluctantly. “I figured. Well, it was during the last few weeks of basic training. I was out a bit later than usual to clear my head. I heard some screams from the locker room, and I saw two stallions and a mare,” he explained, green eyes narrowing. “Evidently they didn’t know what ‘no’ meant, and considering one had a combat knife, it was fairly easy to see what they were trying to do.” He managed a weak smile. “Now I freeze when it’s my own life. But if someone asks for me to help them…” The stallion paused, looking down at his hooves. “It’s mostly a blur. But I clearly remember blood all over my hooves, my forelimbs shredded from a knife, and those two stallions out cold in a pool of their own blood. Broken jaws, fractured orbital sockets, and skull, snapped forelimb…” he shook his head. “I remember calling for a medical team. They survived, for better or likely worse. But their parents, some rather important ponies in the political and military ranking of the area, immediately assumed the reverse situation, the two ponies making up the story that I had been the aggressor on the mare.” He shook his head slowly at that. “Obviously, the story was utterly flawed from the start and the mare was willing to give her testimony. She also added that apparently, the parents and military officials had offered a bribe for her to shut up about it. The case progressed, but then somehow drugs were found in my locker. That complicated the case a bit. The media blasted it everywhere; finding a non-biased jury was going to be tricky.” Astral shrugged in defeat at that. “The Judge saw right through it all, but he’s the one who advised me to get out with an under-the-table plea deal. The parents were…I don’t want to say fanatical, but he used that word. They wouldn’t stop until I was gone. So, I cut a deal. I would leave the Guard, they would get expelled, the case then dismissed. The stallions served minimum time of course. And then I had to run.” “Run?” Calmly gesturing to the mare, Astral’s eyes held nothing but a weighted sadness. “You came in here with guns almost aimed at me. How do you think most creatures in my social circle reacted to hearing the tale the parents spun up? The media? Even when it was concretely proven false, that was a single blurb clearing my name, versus dozens of prior ones condemning me to a life of prison as a…monster.” the last word marked a bit of hesitation in Astral’s voice. “So, I left Fillydelphia as soon as I could, and got a job here.” The stallion’s gaze then drifted to the floor. “But even under a thousand lengths of rock, I can’t escape it all. I had hoped that maybe the records had been removed. I doubt Flask even knew about it when he hired me. A clean start, so I thought.” After a few moments of silence, the mare spoke. “He knew,” Sassi said softly, Astral’s ears perking up. “And he wanted you to have this.” She slid over a USB drive, the stallion looking at her in curiosity. “What? A drive?” “I found a letter at my station. That drive contains a huge amount of information on the Company. To that end, I’m pretty sure the system failures were caused by Flask, but the letter leaves that vague,” Sassi explained. “Flask said he would trust it to a pony he knew would do the right thing, and your file had a bunch of links to the court case you mentioned. He knew from the moment he met you,” her expression softened at that, “and he believed you, not the slander. He trusted you enough with a backup drive that could bring this organization down, along with that access code and a map out of this nightmare. He wouldn’t do that lightly; I promise you that. I know it for a fact.” Tears welled up in Astral’s eyes, the stallion not trusting himself to speak. “I was given a letter with that drive. I know it’s talking about you, because of, well, you figured it out already,” Sassi said, “the code he gave you is my birthday, something we agreed would be a family password. It’s also the day he adopted me.” Now it was Astral’s turn to be speechless. “You said that Flask’s words mentioned the code ‘helping?’ That was a simple way of him telling me to help you.” She managed a weak smile at that, a long sigh leaving between her fangs. “To say that password carries a heavy weight is an understatement. Flask wouldn’t give it to a bad pony, only to those he’d trust. He told you that I could help you. Well, in this letter, he said that whoever had the code would be willing to help me. He wouldn’t trust just anyone to be around me in this sort of situation, to have us help each other escape this place.” She looked at him with a shrug of her wings. “The files were pretty basic about your past stuff; links to articles and a bunch of other witness accounts. Somepony had done their homework but I didn’t know what reports to trust. Hence my question.” “Well, that least that answers why you’ve been on edge around me,” Astral said, shrugging his shoulders, “can’t say I blame you. That also explains the first question you asked me.” “When you grow up around a lot of bad ponies, you can’t trust outward appearances at times, or initial first impressions,” Sassi said bluntly. “But your story adds up. The alternative doesn’t make sense.” That made Astral smile weakly, the mare abruptly letting out a laugh. “I mean, jeez, they tried to pin a drug charge on a pony that can’t handle an energy drink? Stars above I hate politicians,” the Thestral shook her head. “Well, that answers that, even if it’ll take time for me to work through it. But fairs fair. Anything else you want to know?” “Well, obviously quite a bit. But maybe just a few things at first. You’re Flask’s daughter?” he asked, the mare nodding in return. “Yep. I basically grew up here. He adopted me when I was a filly,” she held up a hoof with a wince, “I can tell you a bit more about my time here, but I’d rather not talk about before Flask adopted me.” Astral nodded in understanding. He wasn’t about to push things, not when there was clearly so much he didn’t know about this place. “So yeah. Maybe more for a later time, but I’ve grown up in these silos, for the most part. Got a job, didn’t see eye to eye with Flask on…some stuff,” the mare said, her voice drifting off. “I can tell you the details later. But that’s why I’m here calling this Company evil beyond all else, but still working for them.” She shrugged, “I never really had a chance to do otherwise. I don’t know about every silo, but that’s why I know a lot about them. There’s a lot of nasty stuff here, so I’d ask any questions be spaced out. In short, I worked on containment and security teams for more than a decade and a half across all three Silos. I was pretty dang good at my job. That’s the sum of it.” Astral let out a huff, the stallion shrugging in agreement. “That’s fair enough. I’m just glad to get things out in the open,” he admitted, “even if you still don’t trust me, all I can do is tell the truth. You saved my life; you certainly deserve that.” “I also deserve those smoothies you make. Speaking of whiiiich…” The change to the familiar, peppy, and upbeat tone from the cheeky Thestral made Astral smile, the armored mare shrugging off her firearms and glancing towards the blender. “Understood, Captain,” he said, the smile continuing to fight off the pensive frown on his face. After making the fruit smoothie (something Astral had a feeling would continue daily until they ran out of fresh items) Sassi snagged a glass with a brief “thanks,” clearly still in thought. “Hey, Astral?” she asked, tone softer and rather sincere. “Hmm?” “Thank you for telling me all of that,” Sassi replied, violet eyes glancing over to him briefly, a surprisingly sincere look across her face. “For what it’s worth, I want to believe you, and I’ll try. Just…” her voice paused, eyes looking away. “When you grow up in a place like this, trust wasn’t very common, but bad ponies were. There were far more bad creatures here than good, and growing up with that messes with your head. I don’t like assuming everyone is bad, especially when you haven’t done anything to deserve that view.” He was quiet for a time, downing the smoothie and then glancing over to the mare, noting how she was glancing his way curiously at the silence. “If you want to believe me, that’s better than most. And we did meet only a few days ago. I don’t blame you for not fully trusting me,” he admitted. “But, thank you. That means quite a bit.” The two didn’t say much after that. The time was spent organizing supplies and taking stock of various items (such as a rapidly dwindling supply of fresh fruit.) “Your assignment tomorrow, Astral, is to sample an FRE,” Sassi proclaimed as they scrounged for dinner. Judging from her eager expression, Astral was starting to wonder if the Skitters were a lesser enemy than those rations.