Coffee-and-Cream had told Leviathan that the Diarchs Zoological Institute was abandoned. That was true, but it wasn't the full story by any stretch.
Fifty years ago, a researcher had decided to devote his time to the study of animals, including the oddities and misconceptions that surrounded them. Why did bears occasionally become spooked when meeting an animal they far out-massed? How did birds that weren't alive more than a year or so know how to reach a specific nesting ground? Were parrots really capable of understanding Equish, or was it all just mimicry? He hoped to answer these questions and more for the sake of those truly curious. With permission from the mayor of Manehattan and the town of Diarchs's council, the Institute was constructed.
Not everypony the researcher hired to assist him cared about his goals. Some only put up with it for the money. A hoofful of others took advantage of his generosity and effectively took over the facility, quietly constructing multiple sub-levels without his say-so or knowledge. Years later, it was discovered that illegal experimentation on pony biology was being carried out in secret, prompting the town council to get in contact with the Royal Police and acquire warrants for the arrests of all involved.
Despite not being involved in the experimentation and being cleared of any wrongdoing, the researcher who started it all was ashamed of what happened. After a long-winded and curse-laden rant that the Minutes deemed unfit for print, he surrendered all of the animals on-site to various zoos and collectors around Equestria and quit his job. He was able to gain employment elsewhere after the incident ran its course, but he would spend the rest of his life wondering where exactly he went wrong.
What he did not do was turn the Institute over to somepony trustworthy, which proved to be a mistake. The same pony who had made it possible for the experimentation to take place sunk his teeth into the opportunity, using an intermediary to take full control of the facility and continue his designs in secret. Despite the exterior and upper levels keeping the outward appearance of abandonment, the activities in the basement persisted for decades. Whenever somepony inquired about doing something with the property to make it look nicer--or in one case demolishing the Institute entirely--steps were always taken to make sure the subject was dropped.
This changed when the Minutes' special edition about Leviathan hit the stands, provoking Cocoa Mocha into accelerating his timetable. Via Ignition, the staff was told to relocate their assets to the labs beneath the corporation's headquarters in preparation for the eventual coup against Celestia. Not being anywhere near Mocha's inner circle and thus not being in the know as to what was planned, the staffers unanimously decided that they didn't want to move and protested the decision. At first things were quiet, and the division leader let himself believe that Mocha respected their stand.
Yesterday, Trifecta triggered an explosion at one end of the Institute as part of Mocha's plan to distract from Bastion and Gates' jailbreak. This betrayal left the division in a precarious position: either request direct assistance from the authorities and risk leaving everything they'd been doing out in the open, or scatter to the winds and leave themselves out in the cold.
When the Royal Police together with Diarchs's resident Guardsponies arrived to pursue Trifecta, some of the staffers decided "to Tartarus with this" and turned themselves in after he was gone. They were willing to share what they knew if it meant getting back at their betrayer in some way, regardless of prison time. The rest of the division decided to leave, fleeing as soon as everypony's backs were turned, but they didn't get far when some onlookers late to the party decided "oh no you don't" and decided to go after them.
Due to the circumstances, the entire division was being kept at the local jail. Nopony had time to interrogate them yet, instead trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Which was a shame: had they the opportunity to do so, at least one of the problems that waited for Leviathan at the Institute could have been avoided...
Any opportunity for a swim.
When I arrived at the bridge, I didn't waste time walking along it: I jumped right into the water instead. Dash-jumping along the bridge might have been fun, and it would have given me a nice view of the area, but right now I need speed. And for me, speed means jetting through the water at full throttle. For those non-nautical types listening in, 130 knots translates to about 150 miles an hour, and that's more than I can get by running.
Another thing I'll never take for granted again is the ability to teleport from place to place. Back home, we had an orbital satellite set aside specifically for use by the Guardians and Copy X. With proper clearance, we could use it to warp from Neo Arcadia to just about anywhere we were familiar with in less than a heartbeat. Without it, I have to travel long distances on foot or by vehicle like everypony else.
...Using that term so easily is starting to get a little bothersome. I've got to remember to start using "everybody" when I return home or I'm going to end up looking silly, and I'd prefer to leave the silliness here. If I talked about half of the things I've experienced here, people would either laugh at me or wonder if I'd been reprogrammed.
Alright. Reached the end of the bridge. Turn south, and follow the coastline for a mile. Coffee told me that I'd be getting more information when I get there. Is she going to contact me, or am I going to be meeting with one of Diarchs's representatives?
Surfacing and climbing onto a well-built dock currently occupied by a ferry, I look around for somepony I can talk to for information---
"Huh. That was quick. Wasn't expecting backup to get here this soon."
---or, the information could find me first. I give the Royal Police stallion that had spoken a salute. "You're not bothered by what I am?"
He shivers. "Kind of, but if Headquarters sent you, I shouldn't complain. Let's get to work."
...
The officer leads me into a much smaller settlement than what I've gotten used to. It's still sizable, but it has nowhere near the scope or importance of Manehattan.
An abridged explanation from the officer answers my unspoken questions. Diarchs is what some here call a "bedroom community", in that the majority of those here who have jobs work in Manehattan. As such, the town is primarily residential as opposed to commercial or industrial. That's not to say that it completely lacks a commercial presence, but it is heavily downplayed in favor of Equestria's largest city and its multiple industries.
Two of those butterflies I've fought before confront us when we've gotten a few streets in, causing the officer to panic briefly. A few quick swings of my Javelin put the drones down permanently, calming him down. He tells me that it's a sign we're getting near the Zoological Institute, that whole bunches of these and similar drones were sighted in the area, and that nopony here wants to deal with getting shot with strange magic. They want to get Trifecta out of the building, but not badly enough to want to get shot at. Fair enough, I suppose.
Thinking about it, I'll need to destroy every single drone I come across. If Manehattan's initial reaction to me showed me anything, it's that the world is not ready for this level of technology. These ponies deserve better than to go from a world of natural beauty to one layered with metal, electricity, and oil. My home's age-old wars don't need to be repeated here.
Part of my mind wonders when I started caring for this world that much. The rest of my mind tells it to shut up.
...
A few more streets and twenty more drones later, and we arrive at our destination. As we survey the building from outside the property line, I decide that the Zoological Institute is another building that I'd classify as "of respectable size". It's about three-fourths the width of Bronclyn High and stands three stories tall, averaging about fifteen feet per story. I'm assuming they'd need that much height to accommodate any animals they brought into the facility; not all critters are pony-sized (or Mutos Reploid-sized, for that matter). It has multiple entrances, including one large enough for non-ponyfolk.
Structurally speaking, it's not anything to write home about. Some of the windows are boarded up, and others are broken or cracked. The smooth gray stonework seems stable enough, but that's all it really has going for it. The roof is damaged in spots, with the most notable damage being a large hole at the far end that was probably the result of Trifecta's attack. The property is overgrown with grass and weeds, most of them as tall as the Officer next to me, and there's a few debris scattered about.
A quick look at the back of the property reveals some outdoor pens that have fallen by the wayside, along with a large pond that's in serious need of cleaning. The sign at the front door proclaiming the facility's name has seen better days, the text faded and the illustration of a parrot washed out. Finally, said door has a set of old padlocks keeping it from swinging open.
"From what we've confirmed, Trifecta's taken refuge somewhere in the building," my guide says to me, interrupting my analysis. "He's both armed and has some sort of funky armor protecting him, so be careful."
"Always am," I tell him. "Make sure that everypony stays clear of the area until I'm finished. There's no telling what's going to happen in there."
A nod. "Can do. If you can find anything that says what's been going on here over the years, would you let us know? Those ponies we arrested probably know some stuff, but with everything going on we haven't had the time to interrogate them."
"Certainly. Speaking of, keep somepony on hoof watching them. If Trifecta decides that they know too much, he might decide to go after them personally. Or he might send a few drones after them."
The Officer shivers. "I don't like our chances in that case, but what else is there?"
"Those butterflies are actually pretty easy," I say consolingly. "Any earth pony worth their strength can one-shot them before they have a chance to attack, and their patterns are predictable." I frown. "Though if something that isn't a butterfly attacks you, I'd suggest keeping at range so that you have the time and space to evade. Do you have any enchanted weaponry?"
"Oh, sure. The local Guards' office keeps a few there under lock and key."
"Wonderful. Then provided that you think strategically, you should be good. Just keep your eyes open and play it by ear. If I can capture Trifecta, I can probably prevent it from taking place at all, but if I somehow fail..." Which I refuse to acknowledge, because that would imply gross incompetence on my part.
The Officer salutes me. "Roger that. Here's hoping for the best." He turns and trots away to a safe distance.
Unexpectedly, a two-word message flashes across my HUD for no more than a second.
...Okay, probably unnecessary, but still pretty neat. I don't remember that showing up during any of my prior outings.
I vault over the chain link fence surrounding the property, ignoring the gate entirely. The front door isn't much of a blockade, either: stabbing the padlocks with the Javelin breaks them. Since nopony ever locked the door from the inside, I'm able to waltz right in.
Very thankful for the differences in technology. A proper security door with a keypad would have kept me stymied a bit longer.
While the exterior was proof positive of the Institute's abandonment, the interior isn't. Oh, it might look as such to the untrained eye, but there's plenty of signs that someone like me can recognize. Just here in the front lobby, I can spot a trail of hoofprints leading across the dusty floor here and there. Most of them are leading straight down the hall... past the badger drone that's guarding it.
The badger takes note of my presence and braces itself, daring me to get close enough. Without any support, it's got nothing to protect against the spearheads I fire at it from afar. Too damaged to react in time, it has no bite left in it when I get in close enough to bisect it.
Stepping past the destroyed drone, I try to keep an eye on where the hoofprints are leading. The hall doesn't have any real illumination, as flipping an obvious light switch accomplishes nothing. I know they've discovered electrical lighting in this world, as Drama's theater has a mix of both lanterns and incandescent bulbs. They were probably trying to keep up the ruse that the building was unoccupied for as long as possible, so they removed any visible light sources.
It won't do more than inconvenience me at best. This far in, I won't be too bothered by foreign light for my Deep Sea vision to hinder me. Just have to know when to blink as I total a few fire-breathers that make their presence known. A Charged Slash extinguishes the leftover embers, leaving me free to continue.
As I take a few turns at some bends in the hall, a chorus of skittering noises reaches me. A new type of drone is above and to my right: spiders, each one the size of my fist. Where the tips of their legs should have been, there are tiny little scythes. Where the heads normally would be, there are instead finely-cut sapphires. Despite the differences in appearance, I'm reminded of the much larger Hoppiders, similar mechaniloids that were used for scouting and information gathering back home. Ebony would need a pretty big flyswatter if she ever hoped to exterminate one of these.
Now, I'm not afraid of spiders. Arachnids on the whole have never bothered me. However, given how sharp those legs look, I'm not going to risk them damaging me by letting them jump on me (and who knows what kind of enchantments they have). So as they jump down at my face and neck, I spin the Frost Javelin in an application of what I privately call my “Water Circle” technique, ripping through all six of them in a flurry of ice and metal.
The sapphires clatter to the ground. Not having any means of carrying them, I leave them where they lie and continue my stroll through the Institute. I'll let the cleanup crews deal with them after this mission is over.
Another group of spiders accost me as I follow the hoofprints, as do three more butterflies and a badger. This reminds me of all the video footage I've seen of Zero tearing through whatever facility he was invading. In all of them he was unstoppable, letting nothing keep him from accomplishing his objectives. I'm not ready to put myself on his level yet, but man alive am I starting to get a good idea of what he went through.
But there's still a few things missing from this endeavor. C'mon, they're right on the tip of my tongue...
...Right. I'm not seeing any pits or spikes.
In some facilities back home, such as the factory the Resistance captured during Zero's first run with them, we would install specially-made pits in key areas as a defensive measure against intruders. The pits were deep enough that a fall into them could do serious, if not lethal, harm to the victim. At that point, we could send down a few fliers to recover any pieces.
Of course, we would seal the pits outside of emergencies; no point in having them open when you're just going to your boss's office to say hello. And we never opened them if there were any flesh-and-blood beings around. The fallout would have been horrendous, and I don't mean that in the literal sense.
As for the spikes, they've been used as an extra defensive layer since... well, I want to say since before X was created, never mind me. For reasons unknown, they'll obliterate any robotic being that comes in contact with them. It doesn't even have to be the sharp end that does the deed: I still remember one hapless Reploid worker--who was scheduled to be 'retired' anyway--helping to install a new set, accidentally brushing his hand against the side, and promptly exploding in a shower of shrapnel and energy. There's a reason that 'Handle With Extreme Caution' is printed on the packaging in the largest font size allowable.
I'm glad they don't have either of those here. It was fine when I was on the dealing end, but on the receiving end? I don't understand why, but just thinking about suffering those makes me feel like millions of voices are screaming in rage.
I've been led inside what used to be an old storage room, going by the toppled-over cabinets; I closed the door behind me out of habit. The hoofprints I've been following stop at the bottom of a staircase. Heading on up... no, scratch that. The top of the steps have been barricaded, and they've been that way for a long time: the wood doesn't look like it's been touched for decades. Maybe I should head back outside and get in through one of the broken windows...?
Wait... I just got another look at the prints. They didn't turn left, as if they were going upstairs. They were heading right, towards the wall. Obvious secret passage.
Now, how to open it? It's sealed up tight. I'm not seeing any handles, or anything that would otherwise allow for easy entry. I don't want the city—either of them—to get on my case if I destroy--
What's this little message scrawled at the very top? Writing looks messy, and I can barely see it in the dark...
(Message translated from Equish to English for your convenience)
...”Press 'X' to doubt”? Doubt what? And what's this 'X' it's referring to? The text has probably been there a while, so I highly doubt it's the X I know, and yes I know I walked into that one.
Unless it's talking about this little X-shaped crack in the paneling, down in the corner. It's the only thing I'm seeing that makes sense. So, I guess I just press my thumb against it, or...?
...
That did the trick. The wall's slowly sliding away along a track, leaving enough space for me to pass through. Just have to be mindful of that when I return to ground level, but I should be good.
Of course, now I have to combat the greatest enemy Equestria's thrown at me yet: these blasted stairs. The flight is steeper than it was at the Pyre, the steps are slightly smaller, and there's more of them. I'm feeling envious of the pegasi right now: there's enough space for them to just fly on down. Me? I'm stuck taking these one at a---
“WHA?!”
…
Yep. It happened. And if I have to tell you what I mean by 'it', you clearly haven't been following my tale from the beginning. At least there's no real damage, though it severely dampens my mood and the bottom of the flight is sealed off, meaning I have to go back up. “My kingdom for an escalator!” I snarl, frustrated enough to slam my hand against the wall.
In response, the wall obligingly slides away along another track, opening out into another corridor.
I don't know whether that was a legitimate password or if it was just responding to the impact, I grouse as I stand back up. Either way, I'm still annoyed.
There's another light switch just inside the corridor. I deactivate my Deep Sea vision to be safe, flip the switch... and a handful of bulbs across the walls flicker on, permitting me to see where I'm going unaided. There we go. This floor has power, and presumably water too.
Now, then: information. Or Trifecta. Preferably both. Where should I begin looking?
