We don't go to Sub-Level Five

by RadBunny


Chapter Seventy One: Stabilization

“Maybe everyone already knows that by now. If not, surprise!” she said with a weak chuckle. “Not like I’d be able to hide it. It takes too much energy to try and act normal, so I may as well get it out of the way. I mean, it’s the reason I’m still alive. Stronger, faster, more durable…all the other normal ponies are either dead or gone. Well, most of them I guess.” The mare turned to look at an armored individual on the table.

“And that’s Astral Sentinel. H-he’s alive. Barely. The healing spells are active, and I’ll do everything I can to keep it that way. He went through modifications to save me; fought through hundreds of creatures. But there’s a good chance he won’t…he…” her voice drifted off, Sassi’s eyes looking to the floor.

“I can’t go there right now. But we’re alive, and it’s been more than a day since the reactor detonated. I-” the mare’s eyes narrowed, her demeanor abruptly shifting. “Something is at the barricade. I’ll make another recording later. End recording.”

The video and audio feed then snapped off; the control room was dead quiet for a moment.

“She’s ok,” Flask whispered, the stallion taking a shaky breath. “She’s ok…”

Twilight took comfort at seeing him more at ease, the mare quickly calling a meeting to analyze the footage. They could use Sassi’s message in their broadcasts, that much was certain.

It also gave the Princess a distraction. The more she learned, or rather didn’t learn about Silo Three didn’t sit well with the studious mare. An alien, twisting fear occasionally dug into Twilight’s mind around the topic.

But the two Thestrals were alive; that was progress.


Sassi shook off the gore on her hoof. It was another one of the…she didn’t know what to call them. The skeletal pony creatures. It had shoved a claw through one of the makeshift firing ports, and Sassi had quickly opened the hatch to kill it. After it shoved its head through, she had crushed its skull.

Oddly, there wasn’t a brain, not a recognizable one. It was an odd, sponge-like material that matched the fungal growths on the figure’s spine. If it was a fungus, at least they weren’t in an area where there were spores. The helmet’s sensors still came up clear.

The mare drove a spike of rebar into the cement, dead-center of the hallway and on the line of blood spanning the floor. She then slammed the half-destroyed head onto the spike nodding with a huff as she went back into the medical bay.

The creatures clearly had a form of intelligence and hierarchy. That meant Sassi could send a message. Putting a head on a pike was as good of a message as any.

The odd growths had stumped her, the mare musing over them as she cleaned off the oddly-thick blood in a sink.

A fungus of some sort? What could she even call these skeletal nightmares?

Fungus-pony?
Fungony?
Fony?

The last word made the mare snicker, Sassi drying off her hooves. One of the best ways to deal with a horrifying enemy was to introduce a bit of humor- so ‘Fony’ it was.

A phony pony. That could work.

She busied herself with organizing their meager supplies. Perhaps there was a spare water jug in one of the offices, but the sink was still putting out clean H2O. With her modified stomach, the mare would likely be fine even if it was questionable. But Astral wouldn’t. So, until then, they’d-

Warning. User’s genetic structure has passed critical destabilization threshold. Unable to compensate with available measures. New treatment needed. Time of death without intervention; t-minus seven minutes.’

The alert message scrolling across Sassi’s helmet killed any mirth, the mare dashing over to Astral. She had heard that phrase a few times during her modifications. However, it usually was in the sense of ‘this is going to hurt to prevent the destabilizing.’

“What do I do?” she asked the AI.

‘Experimental procedure recommended. Fusing multiple healing crystals to user will allow creation of a stabilized magical field within the user’s body. 83% chance of stabilizing genetic structure. Unknown long-term survival rate.’

Fusing?!

“What do I have to do?” Sassi asked, the helmet highlighting a series of objects.

‘Step 1: Remove RASP armor. Ensure reactor is as close to the user as possible to ensure continued power flow, along with supplementary injection system. Other pieces of armor may be discarded.
Step 2: Retrieve five healing crystals from any medical bed.
Step 3: Place crystals to indicated points on user’s body and follow fusing instructions.
Step 4: Activate magical field. Surgical removal of crystals will be necessary in the future.’

Sassi took the wrench out of the cargo pocket, quickly removing both the armored plates and the mesh. Her stomach did a flip, fear threatening to impair her thoughts as foam and blood dripped out from underneath the protective material. Astral wasn’t even close to being ok; the armor just hid it.

The protective piece of armor on Astral’s back was left alone, that segment containing the reactor and the medical injection system. The rest of him was exposed, and Sassi had to force herself to not look too closely. The Thestral’s usually fluffy fur was matted with blood, healing foam intermixed with it. There weren’t any actively bleeding wounds, but Astral’s skin felt disturbingly soft as if every part of him was made of jelly.

‘Step 1 complete.’

Sassi snagged five identical, diamond-shaped healing crystals from the adjacent bed. They had healed her, so at least they worked. The objects were about one and a half times as long as her hoof, slender like a knife once removed from their protective robotic housing.

‘Step 2 complete. Place crystals on indicated points.’

The HUD indicated the five positions for the crystals. One on the dead center of Astral’s chest, the other four on opposite sides of his body. Just behind the shoulder blades, and just before his cutie-mark on the flanks.

Sassi pressed the first crystal to Astral’s chest, and a magical field made the object stick to the stallion.

‘Please apply continual pressure as the crystal is fused.’

The smell of burned fur filled the air, the crystal shining with a white light as it burrowed into Astral’s chest, past the fur, and into his skin. It stopped until it was flush with his surface, the stallion’s unburnt fur covering it ever so slightly.

The other crystals followed, each one cementing itself underneath Astral’s skin. The fact he wasn’t awake for the process was a tender mercy.

She took a step back, the crystals now in place.

‘Step 3 complete. Stand by.
Step 4 ready to initiate. Proceed with magical field activation?’

Would the crystals ever be able to even BE removed?
Did it matter at this point?

He dies if I don’t do this.

“Proceed.”

The crystals immediately began to glow, pulsing in unison with a soft blue light. Dimming, the objects became nearly invisible save for a soft, even light underneath Astral’s skin.

‘Magical field activated. Processing…
Success. Complete genetic structure collapse averted, stabilized. Continuing previous treatment. Additional update: All exterior lacerations have been healed. Vita-foam usage decreased by 43%. Estimated time of stabilizing internal puncture wounds: 13.5 hours.’

The mare sat down with a soft *thump*, her ears flat against her skull. Just like that, Astral had almost died. Even if he wasn’t bleeding out, there was so much wrong with him…

But Sassi wasn’t about to let him go.

“Should I put the armor back on?” she asked the AI.

‘Negative. The magical field takes time to stabilize. The armor’s anti-magic systems, while intended for defensive use, could compromise the healing spells.’

“A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed,” Sassi grumbled.

‘Acknowledged.’

It was a simple computer program, but the mare could have sworn there was sass in that text. Regardless, the mare busied herself with cleaning off the interior of the armor pieces. There was a lot of foam and blood; a worrying amount. Then again, there was a reason Astral was out cold.

At least now the armor won’t give him an infection.

Rubbing alcohol was in bountiful supply. Sassi set aside the waterproof mesh and armor plating after cleaning it as best she could. Water and disinfectant would have to do. For Astral, she wiped his limbs, sides, and face down as best she could, not daring to do anything else that could react with the foam and healing spells. But at least his natural fur color was (mostly) returned, and he wasn’t filthy.

And then back to waiting. At least this time, she had an idea. Another journal entry, another small step towards opening up.

The idea that someone could hear her, even if it got through hours later, was comforting.

She put on the helmet, wanting to adjust the settings first. As Sassi examined the display, her eyes narrowed.

"Why is the storage already more than twelve percent full?” she asked the AI.

‘Combat footage was automatically recorded and archived. Recording began when fire-control systems underwent final calibration.’

Excitement flared in Sassi’s chest. Having been unconscious for the hours after being taken, this could fill in the blanks.

“Begin playback from the beginning.”

‘Confirmed. Playing.’

Hearing Astral’s voice made Sassi’s heart soar. She couldn’t help but smile, drawing in a surprised gasp as he neatly dispatched the Skitters.

The tone in his voice when threatening the Skitter Queen made a shiver run down her spine. Sassi hadn’t known Astral could be so…
Protective?

Even the thought made her hooves tingle with comforting warmth. Sassi didn’t realize a single word could, in a way, feel like a hug.

“You want a monster?! Well, here I am!”

A few tears welled up in Sassi’s eyes. Of all the creatures down here, Astral was the farthest from a monster. But she could at least understand.

Not that the mare agreed with him in the slightest. But if Astral was a monster, he was her monster.

She watched as Astral galloped down the halls, blade and guns ripping through Skitters. He hurtled down an elevator shaft, sparks flying from his hooves.

As the stallion tore into another swarm of monstrosities, his next words made the tears finally fall from Sassi’s eyes.

“GIVE HER BACK!”

The speakers crackled as Astral’s determined cry roared in the mare’s ears as he fought off the horde.

All for me. Just to get me back.

Sassi’s jaw trembled, the mare pausing the footage to check on the unconscious stallion.
“I trust you, Astral,” she whispered, gently squeezing his hoof. “I trust that you t-think I’m worth all of this. I’ll try to be the mare you think I am. I just hope you…”

The wall of emotion was almost a physical force, Sassi choking on her words.
“P-please wake up so I can say thank you. So I can talk to you again. Please.” Her grip tightened, hoof shaking.

“I’m not letting you go either.”