//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: The storm gathers // Story: Escalation 84: A Post-Nuclear Story of Humans and Ponies // by dafid25 //------------------------------// November 14th, 1984, 1440 hours Lieutenant Igor Grigorashenko Spetsnaz GRU On board the fishing vessel "Rono," Port of Vanhoover. Five sailors and their captain lay dead on the floor of the captain's room, their guns scattered across the cold wooden deck with fired bullet shells and their blood spilling over. The lieutenant and his team of commandos tossed the cabin they had just shot up apart, and after a few minutes, the search yielded results. "Comrade lieutenant, we found this big book." one of the commandos pushed up the visor of his helmet as he handed a book to Grigorashenko. The lieutenant flipped open the book. It was stained with the captain's blood from the earlier battle, but everything written can still be read clearly. There are numbers with everything listed individually, and everything seems like a typical ledger. "Huh...they had funny codenames for weapons; you want to guess what hippogriffs stand for, underwater rifles?" One of the GRU commandos asked, pointing at a written section. Grigorashenko didn't respond. Instead, he flipped to a random page, which wrote: "1003 DEC 11: 15 EARTH PONIES, 3 DROWNED, 2000 BITS FOR EACH PONY THAT MADE IT TO CHANGELINGS." "INFORMANT IN NAVY ASKS FOR RAISE, EXTRA 100 BITS OUTSIDE OF THE REGULAR 1500" "KLUGETOWN REDUCES PAY FOR EACH TRIP: NOW 30% OF THE PROFITS." Realizing what this meant, Grigorashenko, perhaps in disgust or horror, announced to everyone searching the cabin: "Comrades, the ponies were wrong. This is not an illicit weapons smuggling vessel but a slave ship." Meanwhile, the Police Tactical Unit and Organized Crime Bureau led by Superintendent Starry Badge busted open the hidden storage section of the ship. What awaited them wasn't unmarked guns and explosives but cages about the size of a pony, about twenty in total, with numbers marking each pen. A faint voice in a cell whispered without strength: "Help...me..." The cops dashed up, cut off the lock on the cage, found themselves dragging out a stallion resembling a skeleton, and left nearly dead. "Those...Klugetown bastards... they... found out I'm injured and... c-can't work. They left...left me to die here..." Superintendent Starry, along with everyone else, was too shocked to say anything, and when he blurted out something, it was all everyone needed to get to work. "Faust in heaven, what the heck happened here?" . . . November 14th, 1984, 1515 hours Major Ljubiša Savić European Federal Police Special Brigade "Panthers" Bronclyn Apartments, Manehattan. "Now, changeling, I want answers." The major walked around the now tied-up infiltrator." Where is the shipment?" The changeling said nothing. "Strong silent type; I'm starting to like you." Savić took a chair and sat down in front of the agent, "however, I regret to inform you that just ten minutes ago, your friends who run the sea smuggling route were now dead and six feet under." "Fuck you." The changeling scowled. The major sighed, "corporal, the usual." The corporal immediately kicked the changeling in the gut as major Savić said, "Pity. Your friends at Klugetown or the queen at Vesapolis don't even know you exist, yet you still sold your soul and consciousness to them." "It's..for the kingdom, you apes wouldn't-" Another kick, this time to the ribs. "I don't care to understand; the main problem is that I want to know where you put the kidnapped ponies." At the same time, the radio on the major sounded. "Major, this is A-5, any luck cracking that son of a bitch?" "Negative; we will keep you updated, sergeant. Over and out," The major replied. The changeling still said nothing. Savić then ordered the corporal, "plan B." The officer forced the changeling to sit upright as another joined to hold the agent still. Then, the corporal put a towel on the changeling's face and poured boiling water on the said towel. The scorching heat of the water and the suffocation of the wet towel were nearly killing the changeling, but at the last moment, the towel was withdrawn, with the water stopped pouring. "That was me being nice," Savić lit a cigarette, "now, the location." "I...*hic*...I don't kn-" The changeling broke as the two officers tried to do the same thing again. "Please! Please! Just...50 Franklin avenue...Hooflyn...just...anything but that." Major Savić smiled, pulled out his C96, and chambered a round. "Say hello to the chetniks for me." Meanwhile, outside the building, a squad of EFP officers in camouflaged uniforms and black combat vests waiting near two police vans heard a muffled gunshot. After a minute, their commander walked out. "50 Franklin avenue Hooflyn; let's go." The major boarded the van. "Lazić, bring two of your guys and clean up on the second floor." "Yes, sir." . . . November 15th, 1984, 1000 hours Sergeant Rodoljub Vulović European Federal Police Special Brigade "Panthers" Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville The sergeant hadn't had the most pleasant train ride to the town of friendship. The seats had no back panels, the ride was six hours long, and it was chilling cold inside the train. He put the notebook back into the black police vest as he saw the place he was supposed to go: Sweet Apple Acres. Vulović took off his sunglasses, walked up to a filly resting by the fence, then asked, "Excuse me, little kid, where is miss Applejack?" The filly raised her head and asked in confusion, "Ah'm sorry, but who are you?" "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself." The sergeant sighed as he took out his police badge, "I'm with the European Federal Police, sergeant Rodoljub Vulović. I am looking for miss Applejack because-" "Robo-eh...what?" The filly cocked her head in genuine confusion. "Just call me Roki," the sergeant replied, "my friends call me that." The filly pressed on with her questions, "Okay, mister, but why are you here?" "....Was about to get to that part. Anyways, I'm here because I have a criminal case that I must ask for clues from miss Applejack. Is she home?" "Darn right tootin' ah'm home!" Roki felt a heavy pat on his back as a voice greeted him from behind. "Howdy, officer, anythin' I can help ya with?" Roki turned to see an orange mare with blonde hair and a cowboy hat. "I see; you're miss Applejack, yes? I would request your help on a criminal case-" Applejack cut the sergeant's speech short, "Ah'm always happy to help; now let's get to the house first before we talk!" . . . "Hvala vam." Roki pulled the folder from his side carry bag and put it on the table as Applejack put two cups of tea and a bowl of apples, "can we start now?" "Sure, go ahead; what do you need, officer?" Sergeant Vulović opened the folder and started, "Okay...this is going to be rough. Are your parents Buttercup and Bright Mac?" Applejack's face immediately harder upon hearing about her long-dead parents, but she still nodded in silence. "Well, I think you already know they are dead, yes." Roki continued, "normally, I would send you my condolences or say that I'm sorry, but I'm afraid this is not the case." "What?" The mare in front of him started to look visually angry, "what in tarnation have you got against mah-" "Now, just hold on for a minute and listen; I haven't finished yet." the sergeant tried the calming tactic. "Just yesterday, human law enforcement and Equestrian authorities raided what we believed to be a ship that smuggled firearms and explosives into Equestria for changeling infiltrators. Things took a sharp downturn, however, as we discovered it wasn't firearms they were smuggling, it was-" "Kidnapped ponies that were sold as slaves." A purple unicorn with wings barged in with her folder held up. "Applejack, I need to tell you something very important-" Roki immediately stood to attention as he recognized one of the Equestrian Royals. "Uh...you don't have to be this polite. Oh! Before I forget, call me Twilight." the princess made an awkward face as her assistant dragon walked in. "You're with the European Police, right?" "Yes, your highness." Roki responded, "wait, we only got hold of this information yesterday. How did..." Twilight brainstormed an explanation, "I had my contacts." "What does all this have to do with mah parents?" Applejack asked as she realized something, "are you sayin'..." "Your parents are not dead." Roki flipped to the specific page in the folder, "Buttercup and Bright Mac were kidnapped by Klugetown slavers on the 17th of March, year 995. The day you believe they were dead from a storm-induced rockslide." "That was what I originally tried to say, "Twilight butted in, "but yeah, your parents...are alive! Also, officer, the mother's original name is Pear Butter if we are dwelling into specifics." Roki looked at Twilight as he took something out of his pocket, "oh right, née Buttercup then." "Now just hold on a darn second, mah ma was a PEAR?" Applejack looks both visually confused and frustrated, "are ya saying that-" As she was trying to complete her sentence, Roki took out a half-eaten pear wrapped with tissue and tried to take a bite, which Applejack also saw alongside Granny Smith coming downstairs. In a split-second decision, she kicked the pear straight out of the open window and into the cart Big Mac was hauling outside. "What in the name of Faust is goin' on here?" Granny asked, looking at a nervous Applejack and a confused princess plus cop. The sergeant sighed, "That cost me an entire coin." "Nothin' Granny! We are just chatting with this officer here!" Applejack explained. Granny Smith didn't get suspicious and trotted out of the door. Roki turned to Applejack and asked, "What, does the Apple family somehow have a massive feud with the Pear family?" Granny Smith barged back into the dining room as soon as she heard those words and shouted, "Darn right we do! Grand Pear even abandoned his daughter after he knew she was marryin' mah son! Did Ah ever tell you that..." Applejack was too shocked to say anything, Twilight Sparkle was too confused, and Sergeant Vulović muttered to himself: "I had enough of this entire hell-like family relations." . . . "Ah... Ah'll admit, I did not see that one comin'." Applejack muttered, holding her parent's picture, "Ah knew somethin' was fishy when they said everythin' was washed away and nothin' can be found, but we were mourning too much to care..." Sergeant Vulović put his file back into his bag and sighed, "One of the ponies responsible has been captured yesterday in Manehattan and buried six feet under now, assuming Major Mauzer left enough of him to be buried in a rakija bottle." Twilight then asked, "So, now that we know the changelings are actively trading with Klugetown for slaves and Klugetown kidnaps ponies from about everywhere, I had already sent a report to Princess Celestia, and she should be replying soon-" Spike held up a letter that was just sent through to Twilight, and Twilight read it as her face turned from an anticipating smile to a disappointed frown. "Celestia wants me to deal with this." To nobody's surprise, the entire room was numb about this. "Still, how did mah parents meet each other, especially with the Apples and the Pear tryin' to murder each other?" Applejack asked. Granny Smith shook her head as she spoke, "Ah'm sorry, but Ah'm afraid ah don't know much. I only know that yer' parents loved each other very much, and Grand Pear, being that heartless monster that he is, abandoned yer ma. Ah know for a fact that yer pa was great friends with Burnt Oak; why don't ya go ask her? Ah'm gonna go take a rest. These old bones aren't as spry as they used to be..." "Coincidentally, the warehouse in Manehattan where we found the kidnapped ponies also belongs to the pear family." Sergeant Vulović added, "anyways, I'm intrigued by this entire family history, but I still need to finish what I came here for." Twilight asked, "What would that be, sergeant?" "I'm originally here to ask about the details of the entire rock slide incident." Roki explained, "And since the ledger had mentioned the Klugetown slavers have a hideout near where the rockslide happened but didn't specify, while the changeling agent we captured burnt the files before we managed to get to him, we need to search for it manually." Applejack stood up, determined; she said, "Ah'll help you find it, officer. If that means ah can help save all those enslaved ponies, includin' mah ma and pa." Roki smiled as he also stood up and walked for the door. "Appreciate it. Shall we ask for the details on the way?" "Sure, partner. Let's go." Applejack replied, "What 'bout ya, Twi?" "I'll...pass. I received some paperwork from Luna today, but...do share with me the story of how your father met your mother if you did get a hold of it, please?" . . . Sergeant Vulović overlooked the road above the steep slope right next to it with Applejack. "A perfect view to a kill, let it be a sniper or a manually caused rockslide." the sergeant remarked. "The forest below may be where they had designated to catch anything falling." "Sounds logical." Applejack nodded. "Only question is how we get down there. Jumping down is out of the question." "Hay if ah knew." As Roki tried to take a detour back down to the main road, he noticed a stone that looked slightly out of place. "Weird, there is something underneath it. Let me...ugh!" the sergeant tried lifting the rock. "Man, this is much heavier than it looks." Applejack tried bucking it, and it didn't bulge for a single centimeter. Feeling defeated, Sergeant Vulović decided to get some rest before moving on. As he sat down, the ground in front of him opened up as Moses did to the sea, revealing a staircase that went down. Applejack and the sergeant stared at each other until Roki took off his sunglasses. Someone was inside, but they couldn't see who. "What the...who the hell opened the damn passage?" A voice inside complained as the sergeant drew his Tokarev from his holster. A changeling walked out with a submachinegun, "Now, where is that son of a-" Roki fired with Applejack covering her ears. Bang, bang, bang, three shots flew out of the barrel end with extreme velocity, which all hit their targets perfectly. The sergeant rushed up to check for life signals as Applejack looked into the staircase. Roki picked up the submachinegun and examined it as soon as he confirmed the guard was dead. "Huh, a German MP40, no trigger guard but with a trigger that you can grip with your fist... interesting." Roki also picked up the key the guard was carrying. He slung the gun over his shoulder, aimed his pistol, and pointed his flashlight in the staircase's direction. Step by step, he and Applejack descended the stairs slowly; the flashlight illuminated the dimly lit staircase well. The staircase had multiple turns, and they jumped at shadows every time the duo ran into one. After what felt like an eternity on the stairs going down (actual time counter: 9 minutes), a door presented itself at the end of the staircase. "Okay, stick to that wall side; I will try opening the door." The sergeant ordered as he quickly stuck himself to the wall and closed in on the doorknob, inserting the key and turning it. The door opened, revealing three changelings and an earth pony, all armed with light weapons, working around the radio. The sergeant didn't wait until he announced his presence and emptied his magazine on all three hostiles. Applejack felt her ear ringing like hell let loose as she stumbled to stand still; the gunshots were loud, but more so in enclosed spaces. Without hesitation, Sergeant Vulović rushed inside to check the room was clear. The room had three holding cells, a wooden table on which the radio rests, a small kitchen, and sleeping quarters for six ponies; the place was also littered with ammo boxes and spare firearms. Applejack flipped open a brown-covered book next to the radio as Roki searched for the exit. "Huh? This is their top-of-the-line encryption for their radio transmissions!" Applejack exclaimed in joy, with the cop looking at her confused, "...What? Ah do read books and knows some stuff here 'n there; ya think ah'm that oblivious to technology?" "If that's correct, that means...we have hit the jackpot," Roki said as he held up a list marked as informants and undercover. . . . At the train station, sergeant Rodoljub Vulović was saying goodbye to Applejack as the moon hung high above. "Farewell, Miss Applejack. This partnership is a hell of a ride." "The feelin's mutual, partner," Applejack replied. "I will look for Grand Pear when I get back, but do promise me one thing." Roki smiled as he boarded the last train back to Manehattan, "Do let me know when your parents get home. I wouldn't want to miss out on their love story." "You got yourself a deal," Applejack returned with a smile. The whistle blew as the train slowly departed. Applejack stood there until it disappeared from her view. She's determined that she will see her parents. No, that wasn't enough; she would save them, even if that meant kicking down the doors of Queen Chrysalis herself. . . . November 17th, 1984, 1115 hours Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Government headquarters, city of Unity The complete report lay in front of every member of the cabinet. The slavery, the connections with Klugetown and Changeling lands, and the entire underground network under the Equestrian radar all this time were all written on the paper. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the finance minister, was the first to speak out for everyone. "This...is not good. It will be a matter before they set their eyes on kidnapping fellow humans." Jürgen Brandt also voiced his concerns, "The informants they had in our ranks in this short amount of time are also alarming. I have already ordered the arrests of those figures, but I fear there would be more to that." "How so?" "The ten people we managed to arrest are unsettling figures; three were under Željko Ražnatović. Evidence shows that Major Ražnatović shared the same chetnik beliefs as the three we have known. We also found that the other people arrested were either bandits, outright neo-nazis, or neo-fascists before joining us in this exodus." "I seriously wonder do they also intend to have WRON supporters on board." Mirosław Hermaszewski sighed. Brandt continued, "If this is any comfort, most of those bastards don't buy into everything the queen says; half of them are doing it for the cash, while the three chetniks are more or less looking to backstab the changelings, and everyone else after they set up their state." Schmidt dreaded speaking this line. He knew it would be a matter of time before this happened, but that wasn't any consolidation. "We need an intelligence unit, and I know that man is alive. We...will have to find him and have him on board." Everyone immediately knew who the chancellor was talking about. Their faces all hardened, some clutched their hands into a fist, some facepalmed, and some sighed. "I...know we are letting in a monster, but we will need his expertise, and we will have to limit what he does. Spying on his enemies and their undercover is his life's work." "You are reviving the Stasi if you do that, and you know it." Dries van Agt, minister of justice, protested. Schmidt hated that he had to repeat this line to justify his actions, but he still blurted out: "What other options do we have?... Who else better than him that are still alive?" Everyone was silent, knowing that it had to be done.